UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) Upgraded by StockNews.com to Strong-Buy Rating

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Separately, Robert W. Baird increased their target price on UniFirst from $199.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, UniFirst currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $186.25.

UniFirst Trading Up 0.6 %

UniFirst stock traded up $0.97 on Tuesday, reaching $177.30. 29,366 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 83,954. The stock has a market cap of $3.29 billion, a PE ratio of 22.82 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $192.23 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $184.75. UniFirst has a twelve month low of $149.58 and a twelve month high of $208.20.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other UniFirst news, CEO Steven S. Sintros sold 3,207 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.04, for a total value of $619,079.28. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 22,571 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,357,105.84. The trade was a 12.44 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP David Martin Katz sold 587 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $193.08, for a total transaction of $113,337.96. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 5,625 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,086,075. The trade was a 9.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 13,294 shares of company stock valued at $2,546,632 over the last three months. 0.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UniFirst

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Quarry LP lifted its position in shares of UniFirst by 1,627.3% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 190 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in UniFirst by 60.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 183 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of UniFirst by 16.5% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 367 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $73,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UniFirst in the 2nd quarter valued at $92,000. Finally, TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its holdings in shares of UniFirst by 291.6% in the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 466 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the last quarter. 78.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.