Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Buys 20,017 Shares of United Natural Foods, Inc. $UNFI

Key Points

• Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in United Natural Foods, raising its ownership to 1.12%, worth approximately $18.55 million.
• Multiple investors have significantly increased their holdings in United Natural Foods during the first quarter, indicating strong interest in the company from institutional investors.
• UBS Group and other analysts have varied opinions on the stock, with price targets ranging from $25 to $36, reflecting differing expectations about its performance.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI - Free Report) by 3.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 677,359 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 20,017 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 1.12% of United Natural Foods worth $18,553,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in UNFI. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of United Natural Foods by 9.8% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,531,673 shares of the company's stock worth $96,450,000 after acquiring an additional 314,587 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in United Natural Foods by 241.1% during the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 369,043 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,079,000 after purchasing an additional 260,862 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in United Natural Foods by 37.9% during the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 881,982 shares of the company's stock valued at $24,087,000 after purchasing an additional 242,293 shares during the period. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of United Natural Foods in the fourth quarter valued at about $5,702,000. Finally, Edgestream Partners L.P. purchased a new position in shares of United Natural Foods in the first quarter valued at about $4,571,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.63% of the company's stock.

United Natural Foods Stock Performance

NYSE UNFI traded up $0.52 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $27.98. 1,217,089 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 878,515. The company has a market cap of $1.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -24.33 and a beta of 0.82. United Natural Foods, Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.81 and a 12-month high of $34.76. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $25.20 and a 200 day moving average of $26.79. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, June 10th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.22. United Natural Foods had a negative net margin of 0.21% and a positive return on equity of 3.13%. The firm had revenue of $8.06 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.78 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.10 earnings per share. United Natural Foods's revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. United Natural Foods has set its FY 2025 guidance at 0.700-0.900 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that United Natural Foods, Inc. will post 0.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently commented on UNFI. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $24.00 target price on United Natural Foods and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 12th. Northcoast Research upgraded United Natural Foods from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $36.00 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 22nd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on United Natural Foods from $26.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on United Natural Foods from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on United Natural Foods from $32.00 to $25.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, June 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $28.13.

United Natural Foods Company Profile

United Natural Foods, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes natural, organic, specialty, produce, and conventional grocery and non-food products in the United States and Canada. It operates in two segments, Wholesale and Retail. The company offers grocery and general merchandise, produce, perishables and frozen foods, wellness and personal care items, and bulk and foodservice products.