UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Barclays Analyst Says

Key Points

• Barclays raised its target on UniFirst from $250 to $280 and kept an "equal weight" rating, implying roughly a 1.9% upside from the prior close.
• Cintas agreed to acquire UniFirst in a roughly $5.5 billion deal valued at $310 per share, a premium that has driven UNF toward the deal price, though activist backing and multiple shareholder lawsuits create execution and timing risk.
• UniFirst's latest quarter missed EPS expectations ($1.89 vs. $2.05) but slightly beat revenue forecasts, and management set FY2026 EPS guidance of $6.58–$6.98 while analysts project about $7.71 for the year.

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF - Get Free Report) had its target price lifted by equities research analysts at Barclays from $250.00 to $280.00 in a research note issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "equal weight" rating on the textile maker's stock. Barclays's price objective suggests a potential upside of 1.88% from the company's previous close.

UNF has been the subject of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c)" rating on shares of UniFirst in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of UniFirst from $182.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $198.00 target price on shares of UniFirst in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of UniFirst from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, December 22nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, UniFirst presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $214.75.

UniFirst Stock Down 0.0%

UNF traded down $0.06 during trading on Thursday, reaching $274.83. 49,767 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 252,966. The company's 50-day moving average is $220.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $188.01. UniFirst has a 12-month low of $147.66 and a 12-month high of $283.77. The company has a market cap of $4.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.38 and a beta of 0.69.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UniFirst news, VP David Martin Katz sold 1,464 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.54, for a total transaction of $347,758.56. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 6,461 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,534,745.94. This represents a 18.47% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UniFirst

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of UniFirst by 7.8% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 27,152 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $4,724,000 after purchasing an additional 1,974 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of UniFirst by 13.4% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 5,069 shares of the textile maker's stock valued at $882,000 after buying an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of UniFirst by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 8,966 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $1,560,000 after buying an additional 397 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in shares of UniFirst by 37.3% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 105,331 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $18,328,000 after buying an additional 28,589 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of UniFirst by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 34,914 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $6,075,000 after acquiring an additional 1,326 shares in the last quarter. 78.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about UniFirst

Here are the key news stories impacting UniFirst this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cintas agreed to acquire UniFirst in a $5.5 billion cash-and-stock deal valued at $310.00 per UniFirst share — the definitive agreement is the primary driver of the rally because it delivers a large premium to UNF holders. Cintas to Acquire UniFirst in $5.5 Billion Transaction
• Positive Sentiment: Market coverage and headlines (e.g., Yahoo/MarketBeat/Fool) emphasize the premium and merger arbitrage opportunity, which is pushing UNF share prices closer to the deal value as investors price in deal completion. Why UniFirst (UNF) Stock Is Up Today
• Positive Sentiment: Activist investor Engine Capital (≈3.2% stake) publicly endorsed the transaction, increasing the likelihood the UniFirst board and shareholders will support the deal. Activist backing reduces execution risk on the seller side. Engine Capital Issues Statement
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and write-ups (MarketBeat, Barron's coverage of strategic rationale) highlight meaningful cost and route-density synergies if the merger closes — supporting the view that Cintas can extract value beyond the headline price. Building a Juggernaut: The Cintas-UniFirst Merger
• Neutral Sentiment: Major business press reported the deal terms and context (enterprise value, structure). These reports are factual updates investors use to time positions but don’t change the underlying risks. WSJ: Cintas to Acquire UniFirst
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple shareholder litigation notices and investigations have been launched alleging the UniFirst board may not have obtained a fair price — these claims could lead to discovery, deal delays, higher termination costs or altered terms. Brodsky & Smith Investigation Notice
• Negative Sentiment: Additional class-action / shareholder-alert filings (Monteverde, Halper Sadeh, Ademi) increase legal scrutiny and the potential for contested litigation around process and valuation. Monteverde & Associates PR Newswire

About UniFirst

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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