Yahoo Finance Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.'s (NYSE:NGVC) Stock Is Going Strong: Is the Market Following Fundamentals?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's (NYSE:NGVC) stock is up by a considerable 36% over the past three months. Since the market usually pay for a company’s long-term fundamentals, we decided to study the company’s key performance indicators to see if they could be influencing the market. Particularly, we will be paying attention to Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's ROE today.
ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. In short, ROE shows the profit each dollar generates with respect to its shareholder investments.
Check out our latest analysis for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage
How To Calculate Return On Equity?
Return on equity can be calculated by using the formula:
Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) ÷ Shareholders' Equity
So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage is:
18% = US$29m ÷ US$160m (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2024).
The 'return' is the yearly profit. So, this means that for every $1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of $0.18.
Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?
We have already established that ROE serves as an efficient profit-generating gauge for a company's future earnings. Depending on how much of these profits the company reinvests or "retains", and how effectively it does so, we are then able to assess a company’s earnings growth potential. Assuming everything else remains unchanged, the higher the ROE and profit retention, the higher the growth rate of a company compared to companies that don't necessarily bear these characteristics.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Earnings Growth And 18% ROE
At first glance, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage seems to have a decent ROE. On comparing with the average industry ROE of 12% the company's ROE looks pretty remarkable. Probably as a result of this, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage was able to see a decent growth of 16% over the last five years.
As a next step, we compared Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's net income growth with the industry and found that the company has a similar growth figure when compared with the industry average growth rate of 14% in the same period.
Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. The investor should try to establish if the expected growth or decline in earnings, whichever the case may be, is priced in. This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Is NGVC fairly valued? This infographic on the company's intrinsic value has everything you need to know.
Is Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a three-year median payout ratio of 37%, which implies that it retains the remaining 63% of its profits. This suggests that its dividend is well covered, and given the decent growth seen by the company, it looks like management is reinvesting its earnings efficiently.
Additionally, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has paid dividends over a period of five years which means that the company is pretty serious about sharing its profits with shareholders.
Summary
Overall, we are quite pleased with Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's performance. Particularly, we like that the company is reinvesting heavily into its business, and at a high rate of return. Unsurprisingly, this has led to an impressive earnings growth. If the company continues to grow its earnings the way it has, that could have a positive impact on its share price given how earnings per share influence long-term share prices. Not to forget, share price outcomes are also dependent on the potential risks a company may face. So it is important for investors to be aware of the risks involved in the business. To know the 1 risk we have identified for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage visit our risks dashboard for free.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
