Richard Sloan from the University of Michigan was first to document what is referred to as the "accrual anomaly". His 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones.
As of Mar. 2026, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a Sloan Ratio of 4.56%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NYSE:NGVC) Sloan Ratio % Explanation
A former University of Michigan researcher, Richard Sloan's 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones. In fact, for the 40-year period between 1962 and 2001, buying the lowest accrual companies and shorting the highest accrual companies resulted in an average annual compounded return of 18%, more than double the S&P 500's 7.4% annual return over the same period.
If the Sloan Ratio is between -10% and 10%, the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than between -25% and -10% on the negative side, and between 10% and 25% on the positive side, this is a warning stage of accrual build up.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than -25% or greater than 25%, and this ratio is consistent over several quarters or even years, be careful. Earnings are highly likely to be made up of accruals.
As of Mar. 2026, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has a Sloan Ratio of 4.56%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Sloan Ratio % Related Terms
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Sloan Ratio % 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 Sloan Ratio % Chart
NGVC vs YSWY, VLGEA, DNUT: Sloan Ratio % Comparison
For the Grocery Stores subindustry, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Sloan Ratio %, along with its competitors' market caps and Sloan Ratio % 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 Sloan Ratio % vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Sloan Ratio % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Sloan Ratio % falls into.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Sloan Ratio % Calculation
Earnings contain a lot of non cash earnings which is called accruals. The Sloan ratio is a way to identify firms with low non-cash or accrual-derived earnings relative to their cash flow.
* 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 (NGVC) has a Sloan Ratio % of 4.56% as of Mar. 2026. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and its competitors.
Is Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Sloan Ratio % too high?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's current Sloan Ratio % is 4.56%. 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 Sloan Ratio % compare to YSWY and VLGEA?
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's Sloan Ratio % of 4.56% can be compared against companies in the Retail - Defensive industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Sloan Ratio % for a Retail - Defensive company?
A good Sloan Ratio % depends on the Retail - Defensive industry context. However, Sloan Ratio % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Sloan Ratio % mean?
A high Sloan Ratio % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage and its competitors. Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage's current Sloan Ratio % is 4.56%. 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 Sloan Ratio % is 4.56%. 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 Sloan Ratio % calculated?
Sloan Ratio % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage (NGVC), the current Sloan Ratio % is 4.56% 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:
Sloan Ratio %: 4.56%
GF Value™: $27.31 vs. price of $32.60 (19.4% above fair value)
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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