UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) Stock

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Free Report) had its price objective lifted by UBS Group from $26.00 to $29.00 in a research report report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a neutral rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on UNFI. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of United Natural Foods from $30.00 to $26.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, June 12th. Northcoast Research lowered shares of United Natural Foods from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of United Natural Foods from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $25.00 to $26.00 in a research note on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $24.00 price target on shares of United Natural Foods and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of United Natural Foods from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $27.00.

United Natural Foods Price Performance

UNFI traded down $0.11 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $27.26. The company had a trading volume of 1,181,731 shares, compared to its average volume of 804,333. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 1.41. The company has a market capitalization of $1.65 billion, a PE ratio of -23.70 and a beta of 0.82. United Natural Foods has a twelve month low of $12.00 and a twelve month high of $34.76. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $25.69 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.13.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 10th. The company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.22 by $0.22. United Natural Foods had a negative net margin of 0.21% and a positive return on equity of 3.13%. The company had revenue of $8.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.78 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.10 EPS. United Natural Foods's revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that United Natural Foods will post 0.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Natural Foods

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in United Natural Foods by 1,672.7% in the 1st quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 975 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 920 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. acquired a new stake in United Natural Foods during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in United Natural Foods by 88.3% during the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,077 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 505 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in United Natural Foods during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in United Natural Foods during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Institutional investors own 87.63% of the company's stock.

United Natural Foods Company Profile

United Natural Foods, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes natural, organic, specialty, produce, and conventional grocery and non-food products in the United States and Canada. It operates in two segments, Wholesale and Retail. The company offers grocery and general merchandise, produce, perishables and frozen foods, wellness and personal care items, and bulk and foodservice products.