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

Key Points

• Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's stock rating has been downgraded from a "strong-buy" to a "buy" by Wall Street Zen.
• The company reported earnings of $0.50 per share, exceeding analysts' estimates, though it fell short on revenue expectations with $328.71 million.
• Recent insider trading includes a sale of 2,000 shares by Lark Isely, leading to a 23.04% decrease in their personal stock position.

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Free Report) from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Price Performance

NYSE:NGVC traded down $0.2260 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $40.4740. The company had a trading volume of 168,307 shares, compared to its average volume of 279,495. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a 52-week low of $24.24 and a 52-week high of $61.22. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $39.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $43.33. The company has a market capitalization of $928.88 million, a PE ratio of 21.53 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The specialty retailer reported $0.50 earnings per share (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 company 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, research analysts expect that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be given a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 2nd. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's payout ratio is 25.53%.

Insider Transactions at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

In related news, insider Lark Isely sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.26, for a total value of $88,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 6,682 shares in the company, valued at approximately $295,745.32. The trade was a 23.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 58.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Evergreen Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter worth $392,000. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter worth $64,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 136.5% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,114 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 643 shares during the last quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter worth $255,000. Finally, Engineers Gate Manager LP lifted its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 22.9% in the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 9,343 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,742 shares during the last quarter. 31.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Company Profile

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.