Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Shares Pass Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $22.98 and traded as high as $26.78. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage shares last traded at $26.72, with a volume of 58,034 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 9th.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $605.76 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.69 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $26.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $23.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.96.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The specialty retailer reported $0.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 2.54% and a return on equity of 18.89%. The business had revenue of $309.08 million during the quarter. Equities research analysts predict that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's payout ratio is presently 29.63%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NGVC. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 28.3% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 304,382 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $6,453,000 after acquiring an additional 67,187 shares in the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 14.7% in the 1st quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 190,318 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $3,435,000 after purchasing an additional 24,400 shares during the period. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. raised its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 19.3% in the 1st quarter. Hussman Strategic Advisors Inc. now owns 105,000 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,895,000 after purchasing an additional 17,000 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter worth $353,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 49.3% during the second quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 43,437 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $921,000 after buying an additional 14,338 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.99% of the company's stock.

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.