Lord Abbett & CO. LLC Sells 48,417 Shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)

Lord Abbett & CO. LLC decreased its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) by 10.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 400,590 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 48,417 shares during the quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC owned about 1.75% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $15,911,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 516.0% during the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 209,564 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $8,324,000 after acquiring an additional 175,545 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $5,444,000. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 13.2% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 444,596 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $17,659,000 after buying an additional 51,727 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 6.0% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 689,291 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $27,379,000 after buying an additional 38,880 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 5.5% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 592,709 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $23,542,000 after acquiring an additional 30,691 shares in the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:NGVC traded up $0.48 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $50.93. 87,762 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 110,840. The company has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a PE ratio of 32.43 and a beta of 1.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.15. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12 month low of $16.51 and a 12 month high of $52.55. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $42.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $40.46.

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

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 30.57%.

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.