Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Shares Gap Up - What's Next?

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report)'s share price gapped up prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $36.25, but opened at $38.23. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage shares last traded at $41.19, with a volume of 82,448 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com raised Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.81 and a beta of 1.23. The business has a 50-day moving average of $29.36 and a 200 day moving average of $25.23. 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 Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. 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 yield of 1.05%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 2nd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's payout ratio is currently 27.03%.

Institutional Trading of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NGVC. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $126,000. CreativeOne Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $202,000. Hancock Whitney Corp purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $214,000. Finally, State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 1st quarter worth approximately $216,000. 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.