United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) Issues FY 2027 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• FY 2027 guidance: United Natural Foods forecast EPS of $3.00–$3.50 and revenue of $31.2–$31.8 billion, slightly below analyst revenue expectations of $31.9 billion.
• Mixed quarterly results: The company reported quarterly EPS of $0.69, beating estimates, but revenue of $7.64 billion missed forecasts and declined 0.7% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious: UNFI carries a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $47.86, while the company’s board authorized a new $200 million share-repurchase program.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) updated its FY 2027 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 3.000-3.500 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 3.180. The company issued revenue guidance of $31.2 billion-$31.8 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $31.9 billion.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Monday, July 6th. Roth Capital reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $43.00 price target on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $47.00 price target on shares of United Natural Foods in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of United Natural Foods in a research note on Wednesday, June 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut United Natural Foods from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, July 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $47.86.

United Natural Foods Price Performance

Shares of UNFI opened at $44.07 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.33, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. The stock's 50 day moving average is $47.60 and its two-hundred day moving average is $46.85. United Natural Foods has a twelve month low of $27.97 and a twelve month high of $57.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.67 billion, a PE ratio of -66.77 and a beta of 0.80.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, September 8th. The company reported $0.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $7.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.71 billion. United Natural Foods had a positive return on equity of 7.42% and a negative net margin of 0.12%.The company's revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.11) EPS. United Natural Foods has set its FY 2027 guidance at 3.000-3.500 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that United Natural Foods will post 2.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at United Natural Foods

In other United Natural Foods news, insider Mark Bushway sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.56, for a total value of $515,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 51,119 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,635,695.64. This represents a 16.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 2.40% of the company's stock.

Key Headlines Impacting United Natural Foods

Here are the key news stories impacting United Natural Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat expectations: UNFI reported adjusted EPS of $0.69, above the $0.61–$0.62 analyst consensus and well ahead of the $0.11 loss reported in the year-ago quarter. The company also returned to profitability in the quarter. United Natural Foods Turns To Profit In Q4, Sees Higher FY27 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Favorable fiscal 2027 outlook: Management expects sales and profit to increase this fiscal year as the company adds business from new and existing customers, signaling improving operating momentum. United Natural Foods Guides for Sales to Rise This Fiscal Year
• Positive Sentiment: New $200 million share repurchase: The board authorized a new buyback program, which could support earnings per share and provide a valuation signal if management executes purchases. United Natural Foods Announces New $200M Share Buyback
• Neutral Sentiment: Quantitative ranking is favorable: A market snapshot identified United Natural Foods among the top-rated names, potentially attracting systematic or factor-oriented investors. Quant snapshot: United Natural Foods among top-rated names
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed forecasts: Quarterly revenue was $7.64 billion, approximately $80 million below expectations, and declined 0.7% year over year. UNFI also continued to report a slightly negative net margin, underscoring the company’s limited profitability cushion. United Natural Foods Non-GAAP EPS beats while revenue misses

Institutional Trading of United Natural Foods

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Quarry LP acquired a new position in United Natural Foods during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its position in shares of United Natural Foods by 4,266.7% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 786 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 768 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of United Natural Foods by 84.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,332 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 609 shares in the last quarter. Arax Advisory Partners grew its stake in United Natural Foods by 37.4% in the 4th quarter. Arax Advisory Partners now owns 1,102 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in United Natural Foods in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.63% of the company's stock.

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.

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