JPMorgan Chase & Co. Sells 86,893 Shares of Unifirst Corporation $UNF

Key Points

• JPMorgan sold 86,893 shares of UniFirst in Q3, cutting its stake by 56.9% to 65,708 shares (about 0.35% of the company), worth roughly $11.0 million.
• UNF stock spiked 14.2% and trades near $264 with a $4.77B market cap; UniFirst reported $1.89 EPS (vs. $2.05 expected), issued FY2026 guidance of $6.58–$6.98, while analysts' consensus EPS is 7.71 and the average street rating is "Reduce" (target $181).
• UniFirst declared a quarterly dividend of $0.365 ($1.46 annual, ~0.6% yield) with an ex-dividend date of March 6, and VP David Martin Katz disclosed a sale of 1,464 shares, trimming his holding by about 18.5%.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. lessened its position in Unifirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF - Free Report) by 56.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 65,708 shares of the textile maker's stock after selling 86,893 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned approximately 0.35% of Unifirst worth $10,986,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in Unifirst by 285.7% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 135 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Unifirst in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Unifirst by 474.1% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Unifirst by 378.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 153 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the period. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Unifirst during the third quarter worth about $36,000. 78.17% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unifirst Trading Up 14.2%

UNF stock opened at $264.13 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.77 billion, a PE ratio of 34.94 and a beta of 0.69. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $215.35 and its 200 day simple moving average is $185.47. Unifirst Corporation has a 12-month low of $147.66 and a 12-month high of $271.35.

Unifirst (NYSE:UNF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The textile maker reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.16). Unifirst had a return on equity of 6.68% and a net margin of 5.70%.The business had revenue of $621.32 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $615.23 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.31 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Unifirst has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.580-6.980 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Unifirst Corporation will post 7.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Unifirst Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.365 per share. This represents a $1.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. Unifirst's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.31%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP David Martin Katz sold 1,464 shares of Unifirst stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.54, for a total value of $347,758.56. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 6,461 shares in the company, valued at $1,534,745.94. The trade was a 18.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.86% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Unifirst from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Robert W. Baird set a $198.00 price objective on Unifirst in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Unifirst from $182.00 to $206.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Unifirst in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $181.00.

Unifirst Profile

UniFirst Corporation NYSE: UNF is a leading provider of customized uniform rental and facility service programs in North America and Europe. The company specializes in the rental, laundering and maintenance of workwear, corporate apparel and protective garments for a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, hospitality, healthcare and food processing. UniFirst also offers a suite of facility service products such as entrance mats, restroom supplies, wipers, mops and hygienic services designed to help customers maintain clean and safe environments.

In addition to its core uniform rental business, UniFirst has expanded its product portfolio to include safety and first-responder gear, flame-resistant clothing, high-visibility apparel and personal protective equipment (PPE).

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