Key Points
- Insider sale: Unifirst VP David Martin Katz sold 1,464 shares on Feb. 17 at an average of $237.54 for about $347,758, cutting his stake 18.47% to 6,461 shares valued around $1.53M.
- Unifirst missed Q results on EPS ($1.89 vs. $2.05 consensus) while revenue of $621.3M slightly exceeded estimates, and management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $6.58–$6.98 versus analysts' average forecast of $7.71.
- The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.365 (annualized $1.46, yield ~0.6%, ex-dividend March 6), and analysts hold a consensus "Reduce" rating with an average price target of $181 amid mixed Hold/Sell coverage.
Unifirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF - Get Free Report) VP David Martin Katz sold 1,464 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.54, for a total value of $347,758.56. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 6,461 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,534,745.94. The trade was a 18.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.
Unifirst Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE UNF opened at $241.47 on Thursday. Unifirst Corporation has a 1 year low of $147.66 and a 1 year high of $242.02. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $203.92 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $180.72. The firm has a market cap of $4.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.94 and a beta of 0.73.
Unifirst (NYSE:UNF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The textile maker reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.16). Unifirst had a net margin of 5.70% and a return on equity of 6.68%. The firm had revenue of $621.32 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $615.23 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.31 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Unifirst has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.580-6.980 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Unifirst Corporation will post 7.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Unifirst Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.365 dividend. This represents a $1.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Unifirst's payout ratio is presently 19.31%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research analysts have issued reports on UNF shares. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Unifirst from $182.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $198.00 target price on Unifirst in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays decreased their price target on Unifirst from $152.00 to $145.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Zacks Research upgraded Unifirst from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Unifirst in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $181.00.
View Our Latest Stock Report on Unifirst
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unifirst
Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. AlphaQuest LLC increased its position in Unifirst by 181.2% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 21,311 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $3,563,000 after buying an additional 13,732 shares during the last quarter. Vest Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of Unifirst by 93.0% in the third quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 20,507 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $3,429,000 after acquiring an additional 9,881 shares during the last quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Unifirst in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $18,177,000. Engine Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of Unifirst during the 2nd quarter worth about $11,688,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in Unifirst by 118.1% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 10,830 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $2,038,000 after acquiring an additional 5,864 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.17% of the company's stock.
Unifirst Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) is a leading provider of customized uniform rental and facility service programs in North America and Europe. The company specializes in the rental, laundering and maintenance of workwear, corporate apparel and protective garments for a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, hospitality, healthcare and food processing. UniFirst also offers a suite of facility service products such as entrance mats, restroom supplies, wipers, mops and hygienic services designed to help customers maintain clean and safe environments.
In addition to its core uniform rental business, UniFirst has expanded its product portfolio to include safety and first-responder gear, flame-resistant clothing, high-visibility apparel and personal protective equipment (PPE).
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