United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded United Natural Foods from “hold” to “buy,” adding to a mixed analyst backdrop that still averages to a “hold” rating with a $46.38 price target.
• UNFI reported mixed quarterly results, with EPS of $0.77 versus $0.81 expected and revenue of $7.72 billion versus $7.79 billion expected; revenue also fell 4.2% from a year earlier.
• Insiders recently sold shares, including Mark Bushway and Danielle Benedict, while institutional investors continue to hold a large majority of the stock at 87.63% ownership.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on UNFI. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $56.00 target price on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Roth Mkm reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $43.00 price target on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of United Natural Foods from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of United Natural Foods from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $40.00 to $56.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $47.00 target price on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Wednesday, June 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $46.38.

United Natural Foods Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:UNFI opened at $45.63 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $2.76 billion, a PE ratio of -69.14 and a beta of 0.83. The business's 50 day moving average is $50.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. United Natural Foods has a 52 week low of $22.12 and a 52 week high of $57.02.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 9th. The company reported $0.77 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.81 by ($0.04). United Natural Foods had a negative net margin of 0.12% and a positive return on equity of 7.42%. The firm had revenue of $7.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.79 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.44 earnings per share. United Natural Foods's revenue was down 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. United Natural Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.400-2.600 EPS. On average, analysts predict that United Natural Foods will post 2.52 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Mark Bushway sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.56, for a total value of $515,600.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 51,119 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,635,695.64. This trade represents a 16.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Danielle Benedict sold 4,807 shares of United Natural Foods stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.00, for a total transaction of $249,964.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 98,470 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,120,440. This represents a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 2.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Natural Foods

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. acquired a new position in shares of United Natural Foods during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in United Natural Foods in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in United Natural Foods by 4,266.7% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 786 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 768 shares in the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in United Natural Foods during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its position in United Natural Foods by 60.7% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 993 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 375 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.63% of the company's stock.

About United Natural Foods

United Natural Foods, Inc NYSE: UNFI is a leading distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods in North America. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the company has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion to become one of the largest food distributors serving retail, foodservice and e-commerce customers.

UNFI's core business centers on the procurement, warehousing and distribution of a broad portfolio of products, including fresh produce, groceries, frozen foods, dairy, bakery items, beverages, supplements and household essentials.

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