Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Rating Lowered to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

NYSE:NGVC opened at $38.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.21. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a 1 year low of $23.93 and a 1 year high of $61.22. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $39.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $43.40. The company has a market cap of $885.41 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.52 and a beta of 1.44.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $328.71 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $335.01 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 23.47% and a net margin of 3.31%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage news, insider Lark Isely sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.26, for a total value of $88,520.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 6,682 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $295,745.32. This represents a 23.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 58.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Victory Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the first quarter valued at about $14,006,000. Ophir Asset Management Pty Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter valued at about $8,560,000. Marshall Wace LLP increased its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 516.0% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 209,564 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $8,324,000 after purchasing an additional 175,545 shares during the period. Driehaus Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the first quarter worth about $6,528,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 1,190.6% during the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 162,130 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $6,440,000 after acquiring an additional 149,568 shares during the period. 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.