Advisory Services Network LLC Purchases New Shares in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 8,707 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $346,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NGVC. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 33.3% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 worth $615,000 after buying an additional 675 shares during the last quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 27,363 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $1,087,000 after buying an additional 974 shares during the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

NYSE NGVC traded up $0.31 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $48.45. The stock had a trading volume of 24,954 shares, compared to its average volume of 107,425. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 52-week low of $15.82 and a 52-week high of $50.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a quick ratio of 0.15 and a current ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.86 and a beta of 1.73. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $42.28 and a 200 day moving average of $39.44.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 2.84% and a return on equity of 21.12%. Sell-side analysts predict that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.99%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's payout ratio is 30.57%.

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.