Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) Shares Sold by Green Alpha Advisors LLC

Green Alpha Advisors LLC decreased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) by 27.0% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 60,545 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 22,415 shares during the quarter. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage accounts for approximately 1.9% of Green Alpha Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Green Alpha Advisors LLC’s holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage were worth $2,405,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the third quarter worth $361,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 219,301 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $6,513,000 after purchasing an additional 22,413 shares in the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC raised its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 64.7% in the third quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 449,007 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $13,331,000 after purchasing an additional 176,361 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 1.0% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 193,350 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $5,741,000 after purchasing an additional 1,983 shares during the period. Finally, Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth about $430,000. 31.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Down 4.0 %

Shares of NYSE:NGVC opened at $38.37 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $878.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.93 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a 50 day moving average of $39.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $30.48. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 52-week low of $14.31 and a 52-week high of $47.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Investors of record on Monday, December 2nd were paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. This is an increase from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 2nd. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.25%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is 32.43%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Charity Isely sold 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.73, for a total transaction of $87,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 12,290 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $537,441.70. This trade represents a 14.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Lark Isely sold 4,000 shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.66, for a total transaction of $178,640.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 8,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $387,738.12. This trade represents a 31.54 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 59.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.