Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. Sells 63,000 Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. trimmed its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) by 75.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 21,000 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 63,000 shares during the quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. owned 0.09% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $834,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NGVC. 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 during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 219,301 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $6,513,000 after purchasing an additional 22,413 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 193,350 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $5,741,000 after purchasing an additional 1,983 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 31.5% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 54,115 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,607,000 after purchasing an additional 12,975 shares during the period. Finally, Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 15.9% during the 4th quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 53,904 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $2,141,000 after purchasing an additional 7,384 shares in the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total value of $87,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 12,290 shares of the company's stock, valued at $537,441.70. The trade was a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.66, for a total transaction of $178,640.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 8,682 shares in the company, valued at $387,738.12. This trade represents a 31.54 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 58.80% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:NGVC traded up $0.47 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $41.96. The stock had a trading volume of 51,504 shares, compared to its average volume of 142,090. The company has a market capitalization of $962.18 million, a PE ratio of 26.78 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.15, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. The firm's fifty day moving average is $42.70 and its 200 day moving average is $35.08. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12 month low of $15.08 and a 12 month high of $50.91.

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

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.14%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.