UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) Raised to Buy at StockNews.com

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. UBS Group lifted their target price on UniFirst from $184.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 28th. Barclays lifted their target price on UniFirst from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, UniFirst presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $177.75.

UniFirst Stock Up 0.1 %

NYSE:UNF traded up $0.11 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $164.25. 26,065 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 81,726. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $165.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $169.83. UniFirst has a one year low of $150.50 and a one year high of $187.22. The company has a market cap of $3.06 billion, a PE ratio of 26.88 and a beta of 0.83.

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 27th. The textile maker reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.41 by ($0.19). The business had revenue of $590.71 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $587.56 million. UniFirst had a return on equity of 6.19% and a net margin of 4.92%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that UniFirst will post 7.48 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of UniFirst

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNF. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC boosted its stake in UniFirst by 78.1% in the fourth quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 171 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in UniFirst by 69.7% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 414 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $72,000 after buying an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in UniFirst in the fourth quarter worth approximately $80,000. Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in UniFirst in the fourth quarter worth approximately $82,000. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in UniFirst in the third quarter worth approximately $99,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.17% of the company's stock.

About UniFirst

UniFirst Corporation provides workplace uniforms and protective work wear clothing in the United States, Europe, and Canada. The company operates through U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing, Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning, and First Aid segments. It designs, manufactures, personalizes, rents, cleans, delivers, and sells a range of uniforms and protective clothing, including shirts, pants, jackets, coveralls, lab coats, smocks, and aprons; and specialized protective wear, such as flame resistant and high visibility garments.

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