United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eleven research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have issued a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $37.00.

A number of brokerages have commented on UNFI. BMO Capital Markets reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of United Natural Foods from $37.00 to $35.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Zacks Research lowered shares of United Natural Foods from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of United Natural Foods from $29.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st.

United Natural Foods Stock Down 1.8%

United Natural Foods stock opened at $33.39 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $36.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25. The stock has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a P/E ratio of -20.11 and a beta of 0.82. United Natural Foods has a twelve month low of $20.78 and a twelve month high of $43.29.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 2nd. The company reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.39 by $0.17. The company had revenue of $7.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.91 billion. United Natural Foods had a positive return on equity of 4.35% and a negative net margin of 0.32%.The business’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.16 earnings per share. United Natural Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.500-2.300 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that United Natural Foods will post 0.76 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Natural Foods

In related news, insider Louis Anthony Martin sold 9,439 shares of United Natural Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.67, for a total value of $327,250.13. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 81,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,816,382.78. This trade represents a 10.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Danielle Benedict sold 11,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.31, for a total value of $411,538.05. Following the sale, the insider owned 89,544 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,161,798.64. This represents a 11.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 25,355 shares of company stock valued at $879,742 in the last ninety days. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Natural Foods

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its holdings 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 worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 505 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of United Natural Foods in the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 4,266.7% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 786 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 768 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 84.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,332 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 609 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 32.0% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,563 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 379 shares during the last quarter. 87.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.