Ellsworth Advisors LLC Buys New Position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. $NGVC

Key Points

• Ellsworth Advisors LLC has made a new investment in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, buying 21,277 shares valued at approximately $855,000, representing a 0.09% ownership in the company.
• Multiple institutional investors have increased their stakes in Natural Grocers, with McIlrath & Eck LLC and CWM LLC increasing their holdings by 86.2% and 167.8% respectively in the first quarter.
• Natural Grocers recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share, along with a strong earnings report, showing a net margin of 3.31% despite lower-than-expected revenue.

Ellsworth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 21,277 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $855,000. Ellsworth Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of NGVC. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 53.9% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 19,051 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $766,000 after purchasing an additional 6,672 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 86.2% in the 1st quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 661 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 306 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the first quarter valued at approximately $500,000. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 58.9% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 257,564 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $10,354,000 after buying an additional 95,434 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,600 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $225,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.99% of the company's stock.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Trading Up 1.5%

Shares of NGVC traded up $0.53 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $36.58. The stock had a trading volume of 51,126 shares, compared to its average volume of 207,686. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $38.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $42.24. The firm has a market cap of $839.40 million, a P/E ratio of 19.45 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 1.02. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12-month low of $24.99 and a 12-month high of $61.22.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The specialty retailer reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.01. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 3.31% and a return on equity of 23.47%. The firm had revenue of $328.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $335.01 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.900-1.950 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be paid a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 2nd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.53%.

Insider Activity at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In other Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage news, insider Lark Isely sold 2,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $80,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 4,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at $187,280. This trade represents a 29.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 58.80% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Wall Street Zen lowered Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, September 5th.

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.