United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Analysts

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) has received an average recommendation of “Hold” from the ten brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $43.6250.

A number of analysts recently commented on UNFI shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of United Natural Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. UBS Group boosted their target price on United Natural Foods from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on United Natural Foods from $40.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised United Natural Foods from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $40.00 to $56.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Friday, January 9th.

United Natural Foods Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNFI opened at $44.91 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $40.03 and a 200-day moving average of $37.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a current ratio of 1.33. United Natural Foods has a twelve month low of $20.78 and a twelve month high of $47.58. The firm has a market cap of $2.73 billion, a PE ratio of -34.55 and a beta of 0.83.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The company reported $0.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $7.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.11 billion. United Natural Foods had a negative net margin of 0.25% and a positive return on equity of 6.05%. United Natural Foods’s revenue was down 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.22 EPS. United Natural Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.300-2.700 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that United Natural Foods will post 0.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Natural Foods

In other news, Director James C. Pappas bought 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $33.30 per share, for a total transaction of $66,600.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 194,178 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,466,127.40. The trade was a 1.04% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNFI. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. bought a new stake in shares of United Natural Foods during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of United Natural Foods in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 4,266.7% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 786 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 768 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in United Natural Foods during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in United Natural Foods by 60.7% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 993 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 375 shares in the last quarter. 87.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About United Natural Foods

United Natural Foods, Inc (NYSE: UNFI) is a leading distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods in North America. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the company has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion to become one of the largest food distributors serving retail, foodservice and e-commerce customers.

UNFI’s core business centers on the procurement, warehousing and distribution of a broad portfolio of products, including fresh produce, groceries, frozen foods, dairy, bakery items, beverages, supplements and household essentials.