Green Alpha Advisors LLC Sells 22,415 Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

Green Alpha Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) by 27.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 60,545 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 22,415 shares during the period. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage makes up about 1.9% of Green Alpha Advisors LLC's holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Green Alpha Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.26% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $2,405,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter worth about $126,000. CreativeOne Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter worth about $202,000. Hancock Whitney Corp bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter worth about $214,000. Privium Fund Management B.V. bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter worth about $326,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 2nd quarter worth about $353,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In other news, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total transaction of $87,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 12,290 shares in the company, valued at $537,441.70. This represents a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 59.40% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Up 1.1 %

NYSE:NGVC traded up $0.43 on Monday, reaching $38.81. 67,122 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 95,417. The company has a market capitalization of $888.98 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.22 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a current ratio of 0.96, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12 month low of $14.31 and a 12 month high of $47.56. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $39.57 and its 200 day simple moving average is $30.55.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were paid a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. This is a positive change from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.24%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's payout ratio is currently 32.43%.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Profile

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.