Head-To-Head Survey: Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NGVC) & Its Peers

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) is one of 149 publicly-traded companies in the “Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail” industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage to related companies based on the strength of its institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk and valuation.

Dividends

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage pays out 29.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, “Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail” companies pay a dividend yield of 3.8% and pay out 36.7% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage	0	2	2	0	2.50
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Competitors	2240	8261	10030	459	2.41

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage currently has a consensus target price of $37.50, suggesting a potential upside of 30.96%. As a group, “Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail” companies have a potential upside of 59.68%. Given Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s rivals higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals.

Profitability

This table compares Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and its rivals’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage	3.55%	21.11%	7.03%
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Competitors	-25.68%	1.93%	2.63%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

32.0% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 45.0% of shares of all “Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail” companies are owned by institutional investors. 58.5% of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 19.7% of shares of all “Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail” companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Volatility and Risk

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a beta of 1.27, indicating that its share price is 27% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s rivals have a beta of 0.43, indicating that their average share price is 57% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and its rivals gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Net Income	Price/Earnings Ratio
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage	$1.33 billion	$46.44 million	13.90
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Competitors	$34.71 billion	$846.03 million	15.91

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage’s rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Summary

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage beats its rivals on 8 of the 15 factors compared.

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. 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; books and handouts; 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 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. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado.