Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Upgraded to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report released on Saturday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a research note on Friday, September 18th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $35.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.00.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Price Performance

NGVC stock opened at $30.61 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $28.87 and its 200 day moving average price is $29.41. The firm has a market cap of $705.49 million, a P/E ratio of 14.86, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.27. 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 has a 1 year low of $23.47 and a 1 year high of $41.07.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.04). Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 21.11% and a net margin of 3.55%. The company 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. On average, sell-side 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.13%.

Institutional Trading of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Green Alpha Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 0.7% in the third quarter. Green Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 65,098 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,983,000 after buying an additional 484 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 2.8% during the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 36,927 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $955,000 after buying an additional 1,014 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the second quarter worth approximately $36,000. Inspire Investing LLC grew its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 6.9% during the first quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 19,979 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $516,000 after buying an additional 1,282 shares during the period. Finally, Persistent Asset Partners Ltd purchased a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the second quarter worth approximately $61,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc operates a chain of specialty grocery stores focused on natural and organic products. Its stores offer fresh produce, meat, dairy, frozen foods, shelf-stable groceries, bulk items, prepared foods, dietary supplements, body care products and environmentally focused household merchandise. The company emphasizes products that meet its quality standards, including restrictions on artificial colors, flavors and preservatives in many food categories.

The company was founded in 1955 in Lakewood, Colorado, by Margaret and Philip Isely and remains a family-operated business.