UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) Rating Lowered to Hold at StockNews.com

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Barclays lifted their price target on UniFirst from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. UBS Group lifted their price target on UniFirst from $184.00 to $186.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $185.00 price target on shares of UniFirst in a report on Thursday, January 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $177.75.

UniFirst Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of NYSE UNF opened at $164.24 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $166.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $169.70. The firm has a market cap of $3.06 billion, a PE ratio of 26.88 and a beta of 0.82. UniFirst has a twelve month low of $150.50 and a twelve month high of $187.22.

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 27th. The textile maker reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by ($0.19). UniFirst had a net margin of 4.92% and a return on equity of 6.19%. The firm had revenue of $590.71 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $587.56 million. On average, research analysts expect that UniFirst will post 7.48 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UniFirst news, EVP William Masters Ross sold 2,282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.27, for a total transaction of $399,966.14. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $707,039.18. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.74% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of UniFirst

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNF. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of UniFirst by 78.1% in the 4th quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 171 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in UniFirst in the 4th quarter worth about $80,000. Quest Partners LLC acquired a new position in UniFirst in the 4th quarter worth about $82,000. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of UniFirst during the third quarter valued at approximately $99,000. Finally, SRS Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of UniFirst by 22.1% during the third quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 707 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $115,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

About UniFirst

UniFirst Corporation provides workplace uniforms and protective work wear clothing in the United States, Europe, and Canada. The company operates through U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing, Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning, and First Aid segments. It designs, manufactures, personalizes, rents, cleans, delivers, and sells a range of uniforms and protective clothing, including shirts, pants, jackets, coveralls, lab coats, smocks, and aprons; and specialized protective wear, such as flame resistant and high visibility garments.