Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) Stock Rated “Moderate Buy” by Sell-Side Brokerages

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the four brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $37.50.

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 17th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a report on Monday, August 24th. Zacks Research upgraded Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a report on Friday, September 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $35.00 price target for the company.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Up 7.5%

NGVC stock opened at $32.33 on Friday. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a twelve month low of $23.47 and a twelve month high of $41.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.10, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The stock has a market cap of $745.30 million, a P/E ratio of 14.60, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.27. The company’s 50 day moving average is $29.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.55.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.04). Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 3.55% and a return on equity of 21.11%. The firm had revenue of $334.74 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $347.17 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.070-2.110 EPS. Research analysts expect that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage will post 2.10 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, August 17th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio is currently 29.13%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the second quarter valued at about $30,766,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the second quarter valued at $5,366,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,751,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 75,417 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,950,000 after purchasing an additional 9,338 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Man Group plc bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,308,000. 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 is a specialty retailer focused on natural and organic groceries, dietary supplements, and health-oriented products. Its stores offer fresh produce, meat and seafood, dairy, bulk foods, packaged groceries, vitamins and supplements, personal care items, and household products. The company emphasizes products that meet its quality standards, including restrictions on artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and genetically modified ingredients in many categories.

Founded in 1955 by Margaret and Philip Isely, Natural Grocers began as a small health-food store in Colorado and has grown into a regional supermarket chain.