Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Stock Price Down 6.6% – What’s Next?

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC)’s stock price was down 6.6% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $28.09 and last traded at $28.34. Approximately 204,013 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 5% from the average daily volume of 214,176 shares. The stock had previously closed at $30.35.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently commented on NGVC shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Northcoast Research set a $54.00 price target on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $54.00.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $624.69 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.52 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $36.48 and its 200-day moving average is $40.19.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The specialty retailer reported $0.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.42 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $336.14 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $348.11 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a return on equity of 23.47% and a net margin of 3.31%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.000-2.15 EPS. On average, analysts predict that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 10th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This is a boost from Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.12. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 1st. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s payout ratio is presently 25.53%.

Institutional Trading of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 9.8% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 757,084 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $30,435,000 after purchasing an additional 67,793 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 64.6% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 669,567 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $26,783,000 after purchasing an additional 262,831 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 146.1% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 539,363 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $21,575,000 after buying an additional 320,186 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 504,631 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $20,185,000 after purchasing an additional 10,089 shares during the period. Finally, Lord Abbett & CO. LLC boosted its position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 24.1% during the 1st quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC now owns 497,268 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $19,990,000 after acquiring an additional 96,678 shares in the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, retails natural and organic groceries, and dietary supplements in the United States. The company’s stores offer natural and organic grocery products, such as organic produce; private label repackaged bulk products, including dried fruits, nuts, grains, granolas, teas, herbs, and spices, as well as peanut and almond butters; private label products comprising grocery staples, household products, bulk foods, and vitamins and dietary supplements, as well as organic eggs, organic flavored coffee, and organic mustard; dry, frozen, and canned groceries; meat and seafood products; dairy products, dairy substitutes, and eggs; prepared foods; bread and baked products; beverages; and beer, wine, and hard cider products.