US Foods (NYSE:USFD) Trading 8.1% Higher After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE:USFD)’s share price traded up 8.1% on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $95.66 and last traded at $97.2230. 609,588 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average session volume of 2,888,700 shares. The stock had previously closed at $89.93.

The company reported $1.04 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.01 by $0.03. US Foods had a return on equity of 17.71% and a net margin of 1.43%.The firm had revenue of $9.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.90 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.84 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. US Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.696-4.935 EPS.

More US Foods News

Here are the key news stories impacting US Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 EPS topped estimates — US Foods reported $1.04 EPS vs. consensus ~$1.01, showing meaningful year‑over‑year earnings improvement (prior year $0.84), which supports upside to earnings multiple and investor sentiment. Earnings Release / Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability and cash‑flow signals were strong — net income jumped (~179% to $184M) and adjusted EBITDA rose ~11.1%, showing operating leverage even with near‑term volume/traffic headwinds. This helps justify the stock rally. BusinessWire: Q4 & FY Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $4.696–$4.935, above consensus (~$4.56), signaling confidence in margin expansion and execution — a key reason investors bid the stock higher. Guidance Detail
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue beat/miss nuance — Q4 revenue rose 3.3% to $9.80B but came in slightly below the ~$9.90B consensus; top‑line growth is positive year‑over‑year yet softer than analysts expected, which tempers the upside. Yahoo: Sales Below Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary noted near‑term volatility in demand (softer economic environment for some customers) but an overall upbeat tone on margins/execution — mixed read for cyclical exposure. TipRanks: Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue guidance came in below Street expectations — management gave FY‑2026 revenue guidance of $41.0B–$41.8B vs. consensus around $42.0B, which could limit upside if top‑line recovery lags. Guidance: Revenue Range

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on USFD. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of US Foods in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Wall Street Zen downgraded US Foods from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of US Foods in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of US Foods from $95.00 to $90.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $92.00 price target on shares of US Foods in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $90.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On US Foods

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of USFD. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its position in US Foods by 303.7% during the third quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 327 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 246 shares during the period. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of US Foods during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Steph & Co. acquired a new stake in US Foods in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of US Foods by 120.1% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 482 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 263 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Horizon Corp acquired a new stake in US Foods in the 3rd quarter worth $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.76% of the company’s stock.

US Foods Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.44, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.02. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $80.60 and a 200 day moving average of $78.10.

About US Foods

US Foods (NYSE: USFD) is a leading foodservice distributor in the United States that supplies a wide range of products and services to professional food operators. The company provides fresh, frozen and dry food items as well as non-food restaurant supplies and kitchen equipment. Its customer base includes independent restaurants, multi-unit chains, healthcare and senior living facilities, hospitality businesses, government and educational institutions, and other foodservice operators.

Beyond commodity and branded food products, US Foods offers value-added solutions designed to help customers run their businesses.