Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Announces Fiscal 2025 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results

Core Insights - Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. reported record sales and earnings for fiscal year 2025, with a strong performance in the fourth quarter, driven by consumer demand for high-quality natural and organic products [3][6][10]. Financial Performance - Fourth quarter net sales increased by $13.5 million, or 4.2%, to $336.1 million compared to the same quarter in fiscal 2024, attributed to a $13.3 million rise in comparable store sales [4][6]. - Fiscal year net sales rose by $89.3 million, or 7.2%, to $1.33 billion, with comparable store sales increasing by $86.1 million [10][11]. - Net income for the fourth quarter increased by 31.0% to $11.8 million, with diluted earnings per share of $0.51, compared to $9.0 million and $0.39 per share in the prior year [9][14]. - Adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter was $24.4 million, a 7.7% increase from the previous year, while for the fiscal year, it rose by 17.5% to $97.9 million [6][33]. Cost Management - Gross profit for the fourth quarter increased by $3.7 million, or 3.8%, to $99.0 million, with a slight decrease in gross margin to 29.5% [5][11]. - Store expenses decreased by 0.2% to $72.5 million in the fourth quarter, resulting in a reduction of store expenses as a percentage of net sales to 21.6% [7][12]. - Administrative expenses rose by 6.1% to $10.9 million, maintaining a consistent percentage of net sales at 3.2% [8][13]. Growth Strategy - The company plans to open six to eight new stores in fiscal 2026, reinforcing its commitment to store growth [3][19]. - The company ended fiscal 2025 with 169 stores across 21 states, having opened two new stores during the year [17][21]. Dividend Announcement - A quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per common share was declared, representing a 25% increase from the previous dividend, to be paid on December 10, 2025 [16][20]. Outlook for Fiscal 2026 - The company anticipates daily average comparable store sales growth of 1.5% to 4.0% and diluted earnings per share in the range of $2.00 to $2.15 for fiscal 2026 [19].