Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Acquires New Stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. $NGVC

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 48,310 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,249,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. KBC Group NV acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,288,000. Watershed Asset Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the first quarter worth about $390,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,203,000. Inspire Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 6.9% in the first quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 19,979 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $516,000 after purchasing an additional 1,282 shares during the period. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 2.8% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 36,927 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $955,000 after purchasing an additional 1,014 shares during the period. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on NGVC shares. Alliance Global Partners began coverage on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $47.00.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

NYSE:NGVC opened at $33.33 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $767.90 million, a PE ratio of 16.02 and a beta of 1.33. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $31.32 and its 200 day moving average price is $28.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 0.25. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. has a 12 month low of $23.47 and a 12 month high of $45.98.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The specialty retailer reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $337.38 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $348.00 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 22.26% and a net margin of 3.60%.Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.070-2.15 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is presently 28.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Charity Isely sold 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.04, for a total value of $87,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 10,697 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $310,640.88. This represents a 21.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 58.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Profile

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc operates a chain of specialty grocery stores focused on natural and organic products. Founded in 1955 by Margaret and Philip Isely in Lakewood, Colorado, the company has built a reputation on strict product standards, including certified organic produce, non-GMO groceries and dietary supplements. Natural Grocers emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods and carries a broad assortment of private-label and national brands that meet its quality guidelines.

The company’s core offerings include fresh fruits and vegetables, bulk foods, vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements, as well as natural body care and household items.