Empowered Funds LLC Has $19.54 Million Position in United Natural Foods, Inc. $UNFI

Key Points

• Empowered Funds increased its United Natural Foods stake by 25% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 433,634 shares worth approximately $19.54 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 87.63% of UNFI.
• UNFI shares opened at $50.81, up 3.6%, but the company’s latest quarterly results fell short of expectations: adjusted EPS was $0.77 versus an $0.81 estimate, while revenue declined 4.2% year over year to $7.72 billion.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $47.86. Recent views range from Zacks Research’s “Strong Buy” upgrade to Weiss Ratings’ “Sell” rating.

Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI - Free Report) by 25.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 433,634 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 86,605 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.72% of United Natural Foods worth $19,540,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. acquired a new position in United Natural Foods during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in United Natural Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in United Natural Foods by 4,266.7% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 786 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 768 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of United Natural Foods in the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 84.2% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,332 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 609 shares during the last quarter. 87.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Natural Foods Stock Up 3.6%

Shares of NYSE UNFI opened at $50.81 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.08 billion, a PE ratio of -76.99 and a beta of 0.83. The company has a current ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. United Natural Foods, Inc. has a 1 year low of $24.88 and a 1 year high of $57.02. The firm's 50-day moving average is $49.68 and its 200-day moving average is $44.80.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 9th. The company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.81 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $7.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.79 billion. United Natural Foods had a positive return on equity of 7.42% and a negative net margin of 0.12%.During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.44 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was down 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. United Natural Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.400-2.600 EPS. Equities analysts expect that United Natural Foods, Inc. will post 2.52 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other United Natural Foods news, insider Danielle Benedict sold 4,807 shares of United Natural Foods stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.00, for a total transaction of $249,964.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 98,470 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,120,440. The trade was a 4.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Mark Bushway sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.56, for a total value of $515,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 51,119 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,635,695.64. This trade represents a 16.36% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on UNFI shares. Roth Capital reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $43.00 price target on shares of United Natural Foods in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. BMO Capital Markets restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $56.00 price objective on shares of United Natural Foods in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Monday, July 6th. Zacks Research upgraded United Natural Foods from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 3rd. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on United Natural Foods from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $47.86.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UNFI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.