JPMorgan Chase & Co. Grows Holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) by 75.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 49,410 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 21,257 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 0.22% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $1,467,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $126,000. CreativeOne Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the third quarter valued at $202,000. Hancock Whitney Corp acquired a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter valued at $214,000. Privium Fund Management B.V. acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 3rd quarter worth about $326,000. Finally, Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC purchased a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter valued at about $361,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.99% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total transaction of $87,460.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 12,290 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $537,441.70. This trade represents a 14.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.66, for a total value of $178,640.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 8,682 shares of the company's stock, 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. 59.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Trading Down 0.3 %

NYSE NGVC traded down $0.12 on Friday, reaching $41.42. The stock had a trading volume of 90,640 shares, compared to its average volume of 95,029. The company has a quick ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $41.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $31.72. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12-month low of $14.31 and a 12-month high of $47.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $949.83 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.99 and a beta of 1.44.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 21st. The specialty retailer reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 20.70% and a net margin of 2.73%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 2nd were paid a $0.12 dividend. This is a positive change from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.16%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.43%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.