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

Key Points

• Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) has been upgraded from a "hold" to a "buy" rating by Wall Street Zen, reflecting analysts' positive outlook on the stock.
• The company has set an EPS guidance for FY 2025 at 1.900-1.950, and recent quarterly earnings showed it reported $0.50 EPS, slightly exceeding analyst expectations.
• Institutional investors have increased their stakes in Natural Grocers, with Vanguard Group growing its holdings by 9.8%, indicating strong institutional interest in the company.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

NGVC has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Northcoast Research set a $54.00 price target on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on 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 Trading Down 0.4%

NYSE NGVC opened at $40.58 on Friday. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a 12 month low of $26.49 and a 12 month high of $61.22. The company has a 50-day moving average of $38.73 and a 200-day moving average of $42.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The company has a market cap of $931.47 million, a P/E ratio of 21.59 and a beta of 1.56.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The specialty retailer reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.01. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 3.31% and a return on equity of 23.47%. The firm had revenue of $328.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $335.01 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.900-1.950 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In other Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage news, insider Lark Isely sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $80,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 4,682 shares of the company's stock, valued at $187,280. This trade represents a 29.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 58.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 9.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 757,084 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $30,435,000 after purchasing an additional 67,793 shares in the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC grew its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 24.1% during the first 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. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 5.9% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 494,542 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $19,411,000 after acquiring an additional 27,732 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage during the first quarter valued at about $14,006,000. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 20.1% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 271,380 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $10,653,000 after purchasing an additional 45,343 shares in the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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