Unifirst (NYSE:UNF) Earns Hold (C) Rating from Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating for Unifirst (NYSE:UNF), indicating a cautious outlook for the stock amidst mixed analyst opinions.
• Unifirst reported $2.28 earnings per share for the last quarter, exceeding analyst expectations, although revenue declined by 4% year-over-year.
• Most analysts project an average price target of $174.75 for Unifirst, reflecting a consensus rating of "Reduce" from the market.

Unifirst (NYSE:UNF - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c)" rating reaffirmed by equities research analysts at Weiss Ratings in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on UNF. UBS Group set a $182.00 price objective on shares of Unifirst in a report on Thursday. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Unifirst from $152.00 to $145.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on shares of Unifirst in a report on Monday, June 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Unifirst in a report on Monday, July 14th. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $175.00 price target for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $174.75.

Unifirst Trading Up 2.4%

UNF stock traded up $3.82 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $159.72. 117,977 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 129,872. The company has a market capitalization of $2.96 billion, a PE ratio of 20.01 and a beta of 0.86. Unifirst has a twelve month low of $154.00 and a twelve month high of $243.70. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $170.24 and a 200 day simple moving average of $176.10.

Unifirst (NYSE:UNF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 22nd. The textile maker reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.15 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $614.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $607.02 million. Unifirst had a net margin of 6.10% and a return on equity of 7.11%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.39 EPS. Unifirst has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.580-6.980 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Unifirst will post 7.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unifirst

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of UNF. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Unifirst by 285.7% in the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Unifirst in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised 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 valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Unifirst by 378.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 153 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Unifirst by 59.9% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 227 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 85 shares in the last quarter. 78.17% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Unifirst Company Profile

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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