Vanguard Group Inc. Buys 67,793 Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. $NGVC

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 9.8%, acquiring 67,793 shares to reach a total of 757,084 shares valued at $30.4 million.
• The company reported quarterly earnings of $0.50 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations of $0.49, but its revenue of $328.71 million fell short of forecasts.
• Natural Grocers has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.12, scheduled for payment on September 17th, reflecting an annualized yield of 1.2% and a payout ratio of 25.53%.

Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) by 9.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 757,084 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 67,793 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 3.30% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $30,435,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. XTX Topco Ltd boosted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 48.8% in the first quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 9,288 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $373,000 after acquiring an additional 3,046 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. boosted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 2.6% in the first quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 16,867 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $678,000 after acquiring an additional 420 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 8.1% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 14,106 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $567,000 after acquiring an additional 1,051 shares during the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the first quarter valued at $442,000. Finally, Cetera Investment Advisers acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the first quarter valued at $222,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.99% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 16th.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE NGVC traded up $0.07 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $38.52. The company had a trading volume of 166,190 shares, compared to its average volume of 263,107. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a twelve month low of $24.99 and a twelve month high of $61.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $884.06 million, a PE ratio of 20.49 and a beta of 1.61. The stock's 50 day moving average is $39.09 and its 200-day moving average is $42.76.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The specialty retailer reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.01. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 23.47% and a net margin of 3.31%.The company had revenue of $328.71 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $335.01 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.900-1.950 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate 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 company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 2nd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's dividend payout ratio is 25.53%.

Insider Transactions at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In related news, insider Lark Isely sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $80,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 4,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $187,280. This trade represents a 29.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 4,500 shares of company stock worth $189,020 in the last three months. 58.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.