US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE:USFD) Short Interest Update

Key Points

• US Foods Holding Corp. saw a substantial increase in short interest, rising **28.8%** from July to August, with **6,170,000 shares** as of August 15th.
• Several research firms have rated US Foods positively, with price targets ranging from **$81.27** to **$96.00**, indicating a generally optimistic outlook on the stock.
• The company reported **$1.19 earnings per share** for the latest quarter, outperforming analysts' expectations of **$1.14**, although revenue fell slightly short of forecasts at **$10.08 billion**.

US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE:USFD - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totaling 6,170,000 shares, an increase of 28.8% from the July 31st total of 4,790,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 2,230,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 2,230,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.8 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on USFD. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $89.00 price target (up previously from $84.00) on shares of US Foods in a research note on Monday, July 14th. Citigroup began coverage on US Foods in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd. They set a "buy" rating and a $95.00 price target for the company. UBS Group upped their price target on US Foods from $84.00 to $96.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 28th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an "overweight" rating and set a $87.00 price target (up previously from $80.00) on shares of US Foods in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their price target on US Foods from $77.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 2nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $81.27.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Dirk J. Locascio sold 7,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total value of $600,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 115,077 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,206,160. This represents a 6.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On US Foods

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Securian Asset Management Inc. increased its stake in US Foods by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc. now owns 17,618 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,357,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp increased its stake in US Foods by 8.8% in the 2nd quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 1,850 shares of the company's stock valued at $142,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. SageView Advisory Group LLC increased its stake in US Foods by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. SageView Advisory Group LLC now owns 4,096 shares of the company's stock valued at $268,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC increased its stake in US Foods by 1.3% in the 1st quarter. Kesler Norman & Wride LLC now owns 12,555 shares of the company's stock valued at $822,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its stake in US Foods by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 5,854 shares of the company's stock valued at $451,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares in the last quarter. 98.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

US Foods Stock Performance

Shares of USFD stock traded down $0.21 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $78.06. 2,146,340 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,214,880. The company has a market cap of $17.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.39. The company's 50 day moving average is $79.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $73.37. US Foods has a 1 year low of $56.47 and a 1 year high of $85.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.17 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

US Foods (NYSE:USFD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.14 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $10.08 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.17 billion. US Foods had a return on equity of 16.86% and a net margin of 1.43%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.93 EPS. US Foods has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.764-3.874 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that US Foods will post 3.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About US Foods

US Foods Holding Corp., together with its subsidiaries, engages in marketing, sale, and distribution of fresh, frozen, and dry food and non-food products to foodservice customers in the United States. The company's customers include independently owned single and multi-unit restaurants, regional concepts, national restaurant chains, hospitals, nursing homes, hotels and motels, country clubs, government and military organizations, colleges and universities, and retail locations.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.