Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Shares Up 6.2% - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Natural Grocers shares rose 6.2% to about $31.13, despite trading volume running 39% below its average.
• Bank of America initiated coverage with a “Buy” rating and a $35 price target; analysts’ consensus rating is “Moderate Buy” with a $43 target.
• The company’s latest quarter fell short of expectations, with EPS of $0.48 versus $0.52 expected and revenue of $334.74 million versus $347.17 million forecast. Natural Grocers also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.15, yielding about 1.9%.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report)'s stock price rose 6.2% on Friday . The company traded as high as $31.07 and last traded at $31.1250. 93,606 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 39% from the average session volume of 153,448 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.32.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NGVC has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a report on Monday, August 24th. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a report on Friday. They issued a "buy" rating and a $35.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, September 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $43.00.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $720.89 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.28 and a beta of 1.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company's fifty day moving average price is $29.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.74.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The specialty retailer reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.52 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $334.74 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $347.17 million. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage had a net margin of 3.55% and a return on equity of 21.11%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.070-2.110 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 2.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Dividend Announcement

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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 17th. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's payout ratio is presently 29.13%.

Institutional Trading of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,766,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 2nd quarter valued at $5,366,000. UBS Group AG raised its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 65.5% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 128,059 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $3,208,000 after acquiring an additional 50,677 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter valued at about $2,751,000. Finally, Man Group plc bought a new stake in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the second quarter valued at about $2,308,000. Institutional investors own 31.99% of the company's stock.

About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on natural and organic foods, dietary supplements, and health-oriented products. Its stores offer groceries such as fresh produce, meat, dairy, frozen foods, pantry staples, and bulk items, along with vitamins, nutritional supplements, body care products, and household goods.

The company emphasizes USDA-certified organic and non-genetically modified products, product-quality standards, and nutritional education. Many locations also provide free nutrition classes, educational materials, and guidance from credentialed nutrition professionals as part of the company's focus on supporting healthy lifestyles.

Natural Grocers was founded in 1955 in Golden, Colorado, by Margaret and Philip Isely and remains family operated.

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