Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. NGVC
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NGVC) earns a Piotroski F-score of 7/9 (strong financial health), with an Altman Z″ in the grey zone. It pays a dividend yielding 1.49% (safety: safe). FY2025 revenue was $1.3B at a 3.5% net margin.
Quality score trend · recomputed for each fiscal year
Each year's score is computed from that year's filing — a rising Piotroski F or Altman Z″ means improving financial health, a fall is worth a look.
Beneish M-score: -2.59 — low (below −2.22 — no manipulation red flag) . A statistical screen for earnings manipulation, not proof — and it doesn't apply to most banks/insurers.
Analyst price target
Wall Street analyst consensus — a sentiment gauge, not our scoring.
Smart money · insiders, last 12 months
Open-market insider purchases minus sells (SEC Form 4) — real buying with their own money is a bullish “smart money” signal; grants and option exercises are excluded.
How it ranks in Retail Trade · percentile among 238 companies
Percentile vs other Retail Trade companies we cover — e.g. “stronger than 90%” means only 10% score higher on that measure.
Piotroski F breakdown · 7/9 tests passed
- Positive return on assets
- Positive operating cash flow
- Rising ROA
- Cash flow exceeds net income
- Lower long-term debt
- Rising current ratio
- No share dilution
- Rising gross margin
- Rising asset turnover
Altman Z″ components · grey zone
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Working capital / assets | 0.014 |
| Retained earnings / assets | 0.223 |
| EBIT / assets | 0.092 |
| Equity / liabilities | 0.464 |
Sector peers · similar-size Retail Trade companies compare side by side →
| Ticker | Company | Piotroski F | Altman Z″ | P / E | Revenue growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGVC | Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. | 7/9 | 1.93 | 15.9 | +7.2% |
| VLGEA | VILLAGE SUPER MARKET INC | 6/9 | 3.02 | 10.8 | +3.8% |
| MSS | Maison Solutions Inc. | 8/9 | -0.79 | 4.1 | +114% |
| GO | Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. | 5/9 | 0.46 | — | +7.3% |
| WMK | WEIS MARKETS INC | 5/9 | 6.17 | 20.9 | +3.5% |
| IMKTA | INGLES MARKETS INC | 6/9 | 5.86 | 19.9 | -5.4% |
| SFM | Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. | 6/9 | 1.99 | 14.8 | +14.1% |
About Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.
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. Its stores also provide name-brand supplements, as well as private label dietary supplements; body care products consisting of cosmetics, skin care, hair care, fragrance, and personal care products containing natural and organic ingredients; pet care and food products; household and general merchandise, including cleaning supplies, paper products, and dish and laundry soaps, as well as other common household products, such as diapers; and books and handouts. The company operates its retail stores under the Natural Grocers, Vitamin Cottage, Health Hotline, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage trademark, as well as Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers and Health Hotline trademarks. The company also offers science-based nutrition education programs to help customers make informed health and nutrition choices. The company was formerly known as Vitamin Cottage Natural Food Markets, Inc. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado.
FAQ
Is NGVC financially healthy?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.'s Piotroski F-score is 7/9 (8–9 is excellent, 0–3 weak), and its Altman Z″ distress score is in the grey zone.
Does NGVC pay a dividend, and is it safe?
Yes. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. pays a dividend yielding about 1.49% with a 23.7% payout ratio, rated “safe” for safety.
How profitable is NGVC?
In FY2025, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. had a net margin of 3.5% and a return on equity of 21.9%.
Is NGVC overvalued or undervalued?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. trades at about 13.7× trailing earnings — below its 10-year norm (10-year range 12.0×–32.4×, median 16.0×). Stocktoria reports the data, not buy/sell advice.
What is the analyst price target for NGVC?
The average Wall-Street price target for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. is $46.33, about 68.9% above the recent price, from 3 analysts.
Is NGVC a good stock to buy?
Stocktoria doesn't give buy or sell advice, but here is the data on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.: a Piotroski F-score of 7/9, an Altman Z″ in the grey zone, a P/E of about 15.9×, a dividend yield of 1.49%. Weigh these quality and valuation signals against your own goals.
Computed from company filings · US · as of 2025-09-30. Facts plus Stocktoria's own computed scores — not investment advice.