Los Angeles Capital Management LLC Has $1.84 Million Position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC trimmed its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) by 35.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 46,216 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 25,270 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC owned about 0.20% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $1,836,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Human Investing LLC acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter worth $40,000. Nkcfo LLC acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 4th quarter worth about $397,000. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 15,487 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $615,000 after buying an additional 675 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.99% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com cut 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 Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE NGVC traded down $0.64 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $43.68. 9,821 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 148,045. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12 month low of $15.82 and a 12 month high of $50.91. The company has a market capitalization of $1.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.78 and a beta of 1.43. 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 business has a 50-day simple moving average of $43.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $35.58.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last posted 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 net margin of 2.84% and a return on equity of 21.12%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.10%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's payout ratio is 30.57%.

Insider Activity at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

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

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.