48,310 Shares in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. $NGVC Purchased by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Key Points

• Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased 48,310 NGVC shares valued at approximately $1.25 million, while other institutional investors also increased their holdings. Institutions and hedge funds collectively own 31.99% of the company.
• Natural Grocers reported quarterly EPS of $0.58, beating estimates of $0.56, though revenue of $337.38 million fell short of the $348 million consensus. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $2.07–$2.15.
• NGVC shares opened at $33.33 and recently rose 4%; analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $47 target price. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15, yielding approximately 1.8% annually.

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 48,310 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,249,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio owned approximately 0.21% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 164.2% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 48,702 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $1,958,000 after buying an additional 30,271 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 4.4% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,600 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $225,000 after acquiring an additional 234 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 58.9% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 257,564 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $10,354,000 after acquiring an additional 95,434 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC increased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 53.9% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 19,051 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $766,000 after acquiring an additional 6,672 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 78.4% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 22,695 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $891,000 after acquiring an additional 9,974 shares in the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Up 4.0%

Shares of NYSE:NGVC opened at $33.33 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $31.32 and a 200 day moving average price of $28.28. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market capitalization of $767.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.02 and a beta of 1.33. 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 - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The specialty retailer reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $337.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $348.00 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 3.60% and a return on equity of 22.26%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.070-2.15 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 2.11 EPS for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 3rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's dividend payout ratio is currently 28.85%.

Insider Activity at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

NGVC has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Alliance Global Partners initiated coverage on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a report on Thursday, April 16th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price objective 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 note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $47.00.

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. 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.

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