Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) Short Interest Update

Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 9,100,348 shares, a growth of 17.2% from the February 12th total of 7,763,242 shares. Approximately 3.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 2,128,976 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.3 days. Based on an average daily volume of 2,128,976 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.3 days. Approximately 3.6% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Institutional Trading of Aramark

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Activest Wealth Management bought a new position in Aramark during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Aramark in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Aramark during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of Aramark during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Aramark in the second quarter worth $40,000.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on ARMK shares. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Aramark from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $50.00 price target on shares of Aramark in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group set a $47.00 price objective on shares of Aramark and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Aramark in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of Aramark from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $48.38.

Aramark Price Performance

Shares of Aramark stock opened at $39.86 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a current ratio of 1.27 and a quick ratio of 1.13. Aramark has a one year low of $29.92 and a one year high of $44.49. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $39.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $38.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.06.

Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.01. Aramark had a return on equity of 16.15% and a net margin of 1.69%.The firm had revenue of $4.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.76 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.51 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Aramark has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.180-2.280 EPS. Analysts forecast that Aramark will post 1.92 EPS for the current year.

Aramark Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 18th. Aramark’s dividend payout ratio is 40.34%.

Aramark Company Profile

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) is a global provider of food services, facilities management and uniform solutions, serving clients across a wide array of industries including education, healthcare, business and government. The company operates through three primary segments: Food and Support Services, Uniform and Career Apparel, and Facility Services, delivering integrated solutions designed to enhance guest experiences, improve operational efficiencies and maintain safe, clean environments. Aramark’s offerings include corporate dining, patient and senior nutrition, campus dining, sports and entertainment concessions, custodial services, technical maintenance and industrial laundry.

Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Aramark has expanded its footprint to more than 20 countries, with a strong presence in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.