Is Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.'s (NYSE:NGVC) Recent Stock Performance Tethered To Its Strong Fundamentals?

Most readers would already be aware that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's (NYSE:NGVC) stock increased significantly by 57% 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. In this article, we decided to focus on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's ROE.

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. Simply put, it is used to assess the profitability of a company in relation to its equity capital.

See our latest analysis for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

How Do You 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 income the business earned over the last year. That means that for every $1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated $0.18 in profit.

What Has ROE Got To Do With Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that don’t share these attributes.

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Earnings Growth And 18% ROE

To begin with, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage seems to have a respectable ROE. Further, the company's ROE compares quite favorably to the industry average of 12%. This probably laid the ground for Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's moderate 16% net income growth seen over the past five years.

We then performed a comparison between Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's net income growth with the industry, which revealed that the company's growth is similar to the average industry growth of 16% in the same 5-year period.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. It’s important for an investor to know whether the market has priced in the company's expected earnings growth (or decline). This then helps them determine if the stock is placed for a bright or bleak future. Has the market priced in the future outlook for NGVC? You can find out in our latest intrinsic value infographic research report

Is Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Making Efficient Use Of Its Profits?

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.

Besides, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has been paying dividends over a period of five years. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders.

Summary

On the whole, we feel that Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's performance has been quite good. 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. Remember, the price of a stock is also dependent on the perceived risk. Therefore investors must keep themselves informed about the risks involved before investing in any company. 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