D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. Lowers Stock Position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. lessened its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) by 47.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 13,895 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 12,519 shares during the period. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. owned 0.06% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $552,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Marshall Wace LLP raised its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 516.0% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 209,564 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $8,324,000 after purchasing an additional 175,545 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the fourth quarter worth about $5,444,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL raised its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 210.3% in the fourth quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 80,822 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $3,210,000 after buying an additional 54,773 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 13.2% in the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 444,596 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $17,659,000 after buying an additional 51,727 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 6.0% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 689,291 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $27,379,000 after buying an additional 38,880 shares during the period. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Trading Down 3.4%

NGVC stock traded down $1.72 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $48.20. The stock had a trading volume of 341,274 shares, compared to its average volume of 121,976. The company's 50-day moving average price is $46.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.35. 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 firm has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a PE ratio of 30.70 and a beta of 1.62. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12-month low of $20.00 and a 12-month high of $61.22.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The specialty retailer reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.14. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 21.12% and a net margin of 2.84%. The firm had revenue of $335.77 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $329.66 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 11th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 27th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's payout ratio is currently 26.97%.

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.