Aramark $ARMK Stake Increased by UBS Group AG

Key Points

• UBS Group AG boosted its Aramark stake by 47.5% in Q4 to 2,002,903 shares (≈0.76% of the company) valued at about $73.8 million, and several other large institutions (Capital International, MFS, AQR, Egerton) also materially increased positions.
• Aramark slightly beat quarterly estimates (EPS $0.51 vs $0.50) and issued FY2026 guidance of $2.18–$2.28 EPS; analysts project roughly $2.22 and have an average price target of $48.67 with a consensus "Moderate Buy," and the company pays a $0.12 quarterly dividend (≈1.1% yield).

UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Aramark (NYSE:ARMK - Free Report) by 47.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,002,903 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 644,731 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned approximately 0.76% of Aramark worth $73,827,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in shares of Aramark by 2.4% in the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 24,646,909 shares of the company's stock valued at $946,455,000 after purchasing an additional 580,215 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of Aramark by 3.4% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 19,312,451 shares of the company's stock valued at $741,598,000 after purchasing an additional 639,423 shares in the last quarter. Junto Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Aramark in the third quarter valued at $132,157,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Aramark by 281.1% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,367,964 shares of the company's stock valued at $129,296,000 after purchasing an additional 2,484,319 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Egerton Capital UK LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Aramark by 13.2% in the third quarter. Egerton Capital UK LLP now owns 3,204,201 shares of the company's stock valued at $123,041,000 after purchasing an additional 374,656 shares in the last quarter.

Aramark Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE ARMK opened at $44.95 on Monday. Aramark has a 1-year low of $33.10 and a 1-year high of $46.88. The company has a current ratio of 1.27, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94. The company has a market capitalization of $11.82 billion, a PE ratio of 37.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.08. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $42.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.66.

Aramark (NYSE:ARMK - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $4.83 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.76 billion. Aramark had a net margin of 1.69% and a return on equity of 16.15%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.51 earnings per share. Aramark has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.180-2.280 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Aramark will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aramark Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 18th. Aramark's dividend payout ratio is presently 40.34%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on ARMK. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Aramark from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Aramark from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Truist Financial upped their price target on shares of Aramark from $46.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Aramark in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on shares of Aramark in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $48.67.

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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