Unifirst (NYSE:UNF) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Unifirst has updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance, with projected earnings per share between $6.580 and $6.980, significantly below the consensus estimate of $8.740.
• The company reported a quarterly dividend of $0.35 per share, translating to an annualized dividend of $1.40 and a yield of 0.8%.
• Institutional investors increased their stake in Unifirst, with Geneos Wealth Management and EverSource Wealth Advisors raising their holdings by over 474% and 378% respectively in recent quarters.

Unifirst (NYSE:UNF - Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 6.580-6.980 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 8.740. The company issued revenue guidance of $2.5 billion-$2.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.5 billion.

Unifirst Stock Performance

NYSE:UNF opened at $173.48 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $3.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.31 and a beta of 0.86. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $170.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $176.24. Unifirst has a 52-week low of $156.21 and a 52-week high of $243.70.

Unifirst Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 5th were paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 5th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Unifirst's payout ratio is currently 17.20%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on UNF shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on shares of Unifirst in a research note on Monday, July 14th. They set an "underweight" rating and a $175.00 price objective on the stock. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Unifirst from $194.00 to $190.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Robert W. Baird set a $197.00 price target on shares of Unifirst in a research note on Monday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Unifirst in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Barclays set a $152.00 price target on shares of Unifirst and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, June 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus price target of $178.50.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Unifirst by 474.1% during 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 during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unifirst by 378.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 153 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the period. State of Wyoming bought a new stake in shares of Unifirst during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $94,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in shares of Unifirst by 248.5% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,488 shares of the textile maker's stock worth $280,000 after acquiring an additional 1,061 shares during the period. Finally, AXA S.A. bought a new stake in shares of Unifirst during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $305,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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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