Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) Holdings Trimmed by EAM Investors LLC

EAM Investors LLC lessened its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) by 64.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,216 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 29,475 shares during the period. EAM Investors LLC owned about 0.07% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $644,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 6.0% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 689,291 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $27,379,000 after acquiring an additional 38,880 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 592,709 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $23,542,000 after acquiring an additional 30,691 shares in the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC lifted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 64.7% in the 3rd quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 449,007 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $13,331,000 after buying an additional 176,361 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 13.2% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 444,596 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $17,659,000 after purchasing an additional 51,727 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 11.4% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 219,301 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $6,513,000 after acquiring an additional 22,413 shares in the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, January 13th.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

Shares of NGVC traded down $1.43 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $46.33. 141,417 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 107,455. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12 month low of $15.82 and a 12 month high of $50.91. The business's 50-day moving average price is $42.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $39.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.15 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.51 and a beta of 1.73.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 2.84% and a return on equity of 21.12%. Equities analysts predict that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's payout ratio is currently 30.57%.

About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, retails natural and organic groceries, and dietary supplements in the United States. The company's stores offer natural and organic grocery products, such as organic produce; private label repackaged bulk products, including dried fruits, nuts, grains, granolas, teas, herbs, and spices, as well as peanut and almond butters; private label products comprising grocery staples, household products, bulk foods, and vitamins and dietary supplements, as well as organic eggs, organic flavored coffee, and organic mustard; dry, frozen, and canned groceries; meat and seafood products; dairy products, dairy substitutes, and eggs; prepared foods; bread and baked products; beverages; and beer, wine, and hard cider products.