Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. $NGVC Stake Increased by Royce & Associates LP

Royce & Associates LP lifted its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) by 67.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,007,048 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 406,785 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP owned approximately 4.37% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage worth $30,675,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC bought a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter valued at $1,658,000. KBC Group NV bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the first quarter worth about $1,288,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the second quarter worth about $30,766,000. QV Investors Inc. bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the third quarter worth about $1,532,000. Finally, Manatuck Hill Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 2nd quarter worth about $1,473,000. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on NGVC. Zacks Research upgraded Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Bank of America began coverage on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a research report on Friday, September 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $35.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, October 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $37.50.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Trading Down 1.5%

NYSE:NGVC traded down $0.45 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $28.75. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 82,089 shares, compared to its average volume of 99,978. The firm has a market capitalization of $662.46 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.95, a PEG ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.29. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $29.69 and a 200-day simple moving average of $28.71. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 1 year low of $23.47 and a 1 year high of $34.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 1.10.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Profile

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. is a U.S. specialty retailer focused on natural and organic groceries, dietary supplements, and wellness products. Its stores offer items such as fresh produce, meat and dairy, bulk foods, vitamins, body care products, and household goods. Founded in 1955 by Margaret and Philip Isely, the company began as a small health-food store in Colorado. It has since expanded its retail presence across multiple states, primarily in the western and central United States.