Aramark $ARMK Shares Acquired by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan more than doubled its stake in Aramark in Q3, buying 667,528 shares to hold 1,320,269 shares (about 0.50% ownership) worth roughly $50.7 million.
• Several large institutions also initiated or expanded positions—notably Junto Capital (~$132.2M), Norges Bank (~$135.2M), AQR (major increase) and Soros Fund—indicating rising institutional interest.
• Operationally, Aramark slightly beat quarterly estimates (EPS $0.51 vs. $0.50; revenue $4.83B, +6.1% YoY), set FY2026 guidance of 2.18–2.28 EPS, and holds a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $48.38.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its position in shares of Aramark (NYSE:ARMK - Free Report) by 102.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,320,269 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 667,528 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned about 0.50% of Aramark worth $50,700,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ARMK. Junto Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Aramark during the third quarter valued at approximately $132,157,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Aramark in the second quarter worth $135,218,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Aramark by 281.1% in the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,367,964 shares of the company's stock valued at $129,296,000 after acquiring an additional 2,484,319 shares during the period. Soros Fund Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Aramark in the 2nd quarter valued at $64,902,000. Finally, Ilex Capital Partners UK LLP acquired a new position in shares of Aramark during the 2nd quarter valued at $52,142,000.

Aramark Stock Performance

Shares of ARMK opened at $38.91 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $39.71 and a 200-day moving average of $38.67. The company has a market cap of $10.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.27. Aramark has a 1 year low of $29.92 and a 1 year high of $44.49.

Aramark (NYSE:ARMK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $4.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.76 billion. Aramark had a net margin of 1.69% and a return on equity of 16.15%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.51 EPS. Aramark has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.180-2.280 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Aramark will post 1.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Aramark Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ARMK has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Aramark in a report on Monday, December 29th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Aramark from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. Truist Financial increased their target price on Aramark from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Bank of America started coverage on Aramark in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. They set a "buy" rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $45.00 price target on Aramark in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Aramark presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $48.38.

About Aramark

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.

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