Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Reaches New 52-Week High - Time to Buy?

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $47.89 and last traded at $47.48, with a volume of 59230 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $46.43.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Trading Down 1.2 %

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $41.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $33.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.16 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.61 and a beta of 1.43.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 2.84% and a return on equity of 21.58%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The business 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 0.97%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.57%.

Insider Activity at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In other news, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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. This represents a 14.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was 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 approximately $387,738.12. This 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 owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 27,363 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,087,000 after purchasing an additional 974 shares during the last quarter. Human Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter worth $40,000. Nkcfo LLC bought a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter worth $397,000. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 33.3% in the fourth quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,301 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $91,000 after buying an additional 575 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.6% in the fourth 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 period. 31.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.