What is Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Debt-to-EBITDA?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin CottageNGVC +2.29%86 Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.09 as of Mar. 2026, which is 23% below its 10-year median of 3.99. GuruFocus rates NGVC with a GF Score™ of 86/100 and a GF Value™ of $27.31 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 254 Retail - Defensive companies, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage ranks worse than 68.11% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
NGVC'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.22 Med: 3.99 Max: 6.93
Current: 3.38
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage was 6.93. The lowest was 1.22. And the median was 3.99.
NGVC's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 68.11% of 254
companies
in the Retail - Defensive industry
Industry Median: 2.18
vs NGVC: 3.38
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Debt-to-EBITDA Explanation
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Debt-to-EBITDA Chart
NGVC vs YSWY, VLGEA, DNUT: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Grocery Stores subindustry, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Debt-to-EBITDA vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NGVC) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.09 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage. This is 23% below median its historical median of 3.99. Over the past decade, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.22 to 6.93. According to the industry distribution chart, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage ranks #173 out of 254 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 68.1%.
Is Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.09 is 23% below median its 10-year median of 3.99. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.22 to a high of 6.93. The Retail - Defensive industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.18. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's value of 3.09 is 41.7% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage ranks #173 out of 254 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a GF Score™ of 86/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to YSWY and VLGEA?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage ranks #173 out of 254 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.18. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's value of 3.09 is 41.7% above this benchmark. Historically, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 1.22 to 6.93 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 3.99 vs. the industry median of 2.18, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Retail - Defensive company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Retail - Defensive companies is 2.18, based on 254 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.09 is 41.7% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage. For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.18 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.09, which is 23% below median its own 10-year median of 3.99. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NGVC) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $27.31, compared to a current price of $32.60 — trading 19.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.09, which is 23% below median its 10-year median of 3.99 and 41.7% above the Retail - Defensive industry median of 2.18. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's overall GF Score™ is 86/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NGVC), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.09 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NGVC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $32.60 is trading 19.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $27.31.
GuruFocus considers Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for NGVC:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 3.09 (23% below median its 10-year median of 3.99)
GF Value™: $27.31 vs. price of $32.60 (19.4% above fair value)
Industry Position: 41.7% above the Retail - Defensive median (#173 of 254)
No single metric tells the full story. See the NGVC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Business Description
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc operates natural and organic grocery and dietary supplement stores. It offers the following product categories: natural and organic food, dietary supplements, natural body care, household, pet care products, books, and handouts. The Company has a single reporting segment, natural and organic retail stores, through which business is conducted. The company generates the majority of its revenue from grocery products and dietary supplements, and the rest from other products.
86GF Score
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