Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Shares Gap Up – Should You Buy?

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)’s share price gapped up before the market opened on Friday. The stock had previously closed at $30.07, but opened at $32.17. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage shares last traded at $31.6550, with a volume of 1,217 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NGVC has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, September 21st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a report on Monday, August 24th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 17th. Finally, Bank of America initiated 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 on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $37.50.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Trading Down 2.4%

The company’s fifty day moving average is $29.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 1.10. The company has a market cap of $728.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.27.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $334.74 million for 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. On average, research analysts anticipate that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 2.10 EPS for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, August 17th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend 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 (DPR) is 29.13%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter valued at $30,766,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 2nd quarter worth about $5,366,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,751,000. Man Group plc acquired a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,308,000. Finally, Green Alpha Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the 2nd quarter valued at about $2,004,000. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.