Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Trading 10.9% Higher After Dividend Announcement

Key Points

• Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE: NGVC) shares increased by 10.9% after the company announced a dividend of $0.12 per share, with a total dividend yield of 1.2% annually.
• The company's recent earnings report showed an EPS of $0.56, surpassing analysts' expectations of $0.42, and revenue of $335.77 million against a forecast of $329.66 million.
• Insider trading activity includes Lark Isely selling 2,000 shares, which represented a 23.04% decrease in their position, while 58.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) shares shot up 10.9% during trading on Friday after the company announced a dividend. The company traded as high as $45.98 and last traded at $41.07. 388,375 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 96% from the average session volume of 198,309 shares. The stock had previously closed at $37.02.The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Investors 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%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's dividend payout ratio is presently 26.97%.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $936.92 million, a PE ratio of 22.72 and a beta of 1.44. The firm's 50-day moving average is $40.51 and its 200-day moving average is $43.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The specialty retailer reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.42 by $0.14. The business had revenue of $335.77 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $329.66 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 23.27% and a net margin of 3.18%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Lark Isely sold 2,000 shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.26, for a total value of $88,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 6,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at $295,745.32. The trade was a 23.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 58.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,366 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $213,000 after acquiring an additional 228 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC grew its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 86.2% during the first quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 661 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 306 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 5.7% during the second quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 6,035 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $237,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the period. Martingale Asset Management L P increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 2.8% in the first quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 14,412 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $579,000 after buying an additional 397 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. raised its stake in shares of 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 worth $678,000 after buying an additional 420 shares during the period. 31.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

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.

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