Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Trading Down 5.7% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) saw its stock price drop by 5.7%, closing at $36.07, with trading volume down 57% from its average.
• Analysts have downgraded the stock from a "buy" to a "hold" rating, while the company reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $0.50, slightly beating expectations.
• The firm declared a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share, reflecting a 1.3% yield and a dividend payout ratio of 25.53%.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report)'s stock price fell 5.7% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $36.17 and last traded at $36.07. 88,634 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 57% from the average session volume of 203,846 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.24.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut shares of 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 Stock Down 1.4%

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 firm's 50-day moving average is $38.90 and its 200 day moving average is $42.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $859.66 million, a PE ratio of 19.92 and a beta of 1.61.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The specialty retailer reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $328.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $335.01 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 3.31% and a return on equity of 23.47%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.900-1.950 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast 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 announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. 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 other 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 transaction of $80,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 4,682 shares in the company, valued at $187,280. This represents a 29.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 58.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 9.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 757,084 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $30,435,000 after purchasing an additional 67,793 shares in the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC grew its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 24.1% in the first quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 497,268 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $19,990,000 after acquiring an additional 96,678 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 5.9% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 494,542 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $19,411,000 after acquiring an additional 27,732 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the first quarter valued at approximately $14,006,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 20.1% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 271,380 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $10,653,000 after acquiring an additional 45,343 shares in the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.