Vanguard Group Inc. Boosts Holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) by 6.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 689,291 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 38,880 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 3.01% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $27,379,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Human Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 33.3% during the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,301 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $91,000 after acquiring an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $224,000. Finally, Barclays PLC grew its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 285.2% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 12,420 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $368,000 after purchasing an additional 9,196 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 31.99% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

NYSE:NGVC traded down $0.03 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $47.68. 128,243 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 107,319. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.37 and a beta of 1.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.15. The company's 50 day moving average price is $42.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $39.15. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 52-week low of $15.82 and a 52-week high of $50.91.

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

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.01%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's payout ratio is 30.57%.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Company 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.