Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Hits New 12-Month Low – Here’s Why

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $30.55 and last traded at $30.89, with a volume of 20686 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $31.93.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

NGVC has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen raised Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 25th. Finally, Northcoast Research set a $54.00 price objective on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $54.00.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Up 0.8%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $723.96 million, a P/E ratio of 16.78 and a beta of 1.57. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $37.79 and its 200-day moving average price is $41.39.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last released its 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 firm had revenue of $328.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $335.01 million. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Lark Isely sold 2,000 shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 19th. The stock was 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $187,280. The trade was a 29.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 58.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,600 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $225,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC boosted its position 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 last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System grew its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 36.2% in the third quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 1,154 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 5.7% in the 2nd quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 6,035 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $237,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Martingale Asset Management L P raised its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 14,412 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $579,000 after purchasing an additional 397 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

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.