Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Stock Price Down 6.6% – Should You Sell?

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NGVC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Northcoast Research set a $54.00 price target on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $54.00.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Stock Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $36.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $40.19. The stock has a market cap of $624.69 million, a PE ratio of 14.52 and a beta of 1.57. 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) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The specialty retailer reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.42 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $336.14 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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. As a group, research analysts forecast that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Increases Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. McIlrath & Eck LLC raised its position in shares of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 86.2% in the first quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 661 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 306 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the 3rd quarter valued at about $36,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 643 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System grew its stake in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 36.2% during the 3rd quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 1,154 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC raised its holdings in Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage by 167.8% in the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,291 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 809 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 31.99% of the company’s stock.

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.