SFM vs. NGVC

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

SFM (Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.) and NGVC (Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.) are both stocks. Both operate in the Grocery Stores industry within the Consumer Defensive sector. Over the past 10 years, SFM returned 12.31%/yr vs 11.92%/yr for NGVC. At a 0.39 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

SFM vs. NGVC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (SFM) and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NGVC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SFM achieves a -2.03% return, which is significantly lower than NGVC's 17.44% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with SFM having a 12.31% annualized return and NGVC not far behind at 11.92%.

SFM

• 1D: -2.12%
• 1M: -3.87%
• YTD: -2.03%
• 6M: -7.97%
• 1Y: -56.53%
• 3Y*: 33.15%
• 5Y*: 23.15%
• 10Y*: 12.31%

NGVC

• 1D: 1.50%
• 1M: -1.07%
• YTD: 17.44%
• 6M: 8.27%
• 1Y: -38.42%
• 3Y*: 45.60%
• 5Y*: 24.42%
• 10Y*: 11.92%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

SFM vs. NGVC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SFM Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.	-2.03%	-37.30%	164.12%	48.63%	9.06%	47.66%	3.88%	-17.69%	-3.45%	28.70%
NGVC Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.	17.44%	-36.07%	152.51%	91.83%	-34.02%	6.24%	62.34%	-35.12%	71.67%	-24.89%

Correlation

The correlation between SFM and NGVC is 0.37, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.37
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.42
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.42
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.41
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 2, 2013	0.39

Fundamentals

Market Cap SFM : $7.46B NGVC : $675.56M
EPS SFM : $5.20 NGVC : $2.07
PE Ratio SFM : 15.02 NGVC : 14.06
PEG Ratio SFM : 0.55 NGVC : 0.60
PS Ratio SFM : 0.86 NGVC : 0.51
PB Ratio SFM : 5.20 NGVC : 2.93
Total Revenue (TTM) SFM : $8.90B NGVC : $1.34B
Gross Profit (TTM) SFM : $3.41B NGVC : $398.61M
EBITDA (TTM) SFM : $837.54M NGVC : $87.79M

Return for Risk

SFM vs. NGVC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

SFM

SFM Risk / Return Rank: 5
SFM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
SFM Sortino Ratio Rank: 2
SFM Omega Ratio Rank: 2
SFM Calmar Ratio Rank: 7
SFM Martin Ratio Rank: 14

NGVC

NGVC Risk / Return Rank: 10
NGVC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6
NGVC Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
NGVC Omega Ratio Rank: 9
NGVC Calmar Ratio Rank: 11
NGVC Martin Ratio Rank: 16

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

SFM vs. NGVC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (SFM) and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NGVC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	SFM	NGVC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-1.24	-0.93	-0.31
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-1.99	-1.27	-0.73
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.73	0.85	-0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.86	-0.78	-0.08
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-1.19	-1.12	-0.07
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SFM vs. NGVC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SFM Sharpe Ratio is -1.24, which is lower than the NGVC Sharpe Ratio of -0.93. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SFM and NGVC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SFM	NGVC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-1.24	-0.93	-0.31
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.59	0.51	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.33	0.22	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.14	0.12	+0.03

Drawdowns

SFM vs. NGVC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SFM drawdown since its inception was -72.88%, smaller than the maximum NGVC drawdown of -89.04%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SFM and NGVC.

Drawdown Indicators

	SFM	NGVC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-72.88%	-89.04%	+16.16%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-62.58%	-48.33%	-14.25%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-63.48%	-59.87%	-3.61%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-63.48%	-63.34%	-0.14%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-63.48%	-73.77%	+10.29%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-56.53%	-50.21%	-6.32%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-40.26%	-52.58%	+12.32%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	46.08%	35.16%	+10.92%

Volatility

SFM vs. NGVC - Volatility Comparison

Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. (SFM) and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. (NGVC) have volatilities of 13.13% and 12.96%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SFM	NGVC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.13%	12.96%	+0.17%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	29.86%	25.18%	+4.68%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	45.86%	41.35%	+4.51%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	39.18%	48.18%	-9.00%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	37.78%	55.57%	-17.79%

Dividends

SFM vs. NGVC - Dividend Comparison

SFM has not paid dividends to shareholders, while NGVC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.96%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
NGVC Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc.	1.96%	2.04%	1.06%	8.75%	4.38%	2.18%	16.59%	0.71%
SFM Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

SFM vs. NGVC - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. and Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

SFM - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. reported a gross profit of 917.28M and revenue of 2.33B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 39.4%.

NGVC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. reported a gross profit of 102.44M and revenue of 337.38M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 30.4%.

SFM - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. reported an operating income of 215.31M and revenue of 2.33B, resulting in an operating margin of 9.2%.

NGVC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. reported an operating income of 18.11M and revenue of 337.38M, resulting in an operating margin of 5.4%.

SFM - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. reported a net income of 163.72M and revenue of 2.33B, resulting in a net margin of 7.0%.

NGVC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Inc. reported a net income of 13.43M and revenue of 337.38M, resulting in a net margin of 4.0%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SFM and NGVC in my portfolio?

SFM and NGVC have a correlation of 0.37, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SFM or NGVC?

SFM has higher volatility (13.13%) compared to NGVC (12.96%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SFM dropped -72.88% vs NGVC's -89.04%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NGVC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.93 vs -1.24), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.