Vest Financial LLC Increases Stock Position in Unifirst Corporation $UNF

Vest Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Unifirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF) by 93.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 20,507 shares of the textile maker’s stock after buying an additional 9,881 shares during the quarter. Vest Financial LLC owned about 0.11% of Unifirst worth $3,429,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UNF. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Unifirst in the second quarter valued at $35,684,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Unifirst by 90.0% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 191,539 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $36,051,000 after buying an additional 90,751 shares during the period. Engine Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Unifirst during the second quarter worth $11,688,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd boosted its position in Unifirst by 85.4% in the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 105,005 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $19,764,000 after buying an additional 48,378 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Unifirst by 1,492.4% during the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 49,571 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $9,330,000 after acquiring an additional 46,458 shares in the last quarter. 78.17% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Unifirst Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:UNF opened at $208.70 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $186.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $174.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.61 and a beta of 0.72. Unifirst Corporation has a 52 week low of $147.66 and a 52 week high of $231.73.

Unifirst (NYSE:UNF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The textile maker reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.16). Unifirst had a return on equity of 6.68% and a net margin of 5.70%.The company had revenue of $621.32 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $615.23 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.31 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Unifirst has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.580-6.980 EPS. Analysts predict that Unifirst Corporation will post 7.71 EPS for the current year.

Unifirst Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.365 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Unifirst’s dividend payout ratio is currently 19.31%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on UNF shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Unifirst from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Unifirst from $152.00 to $145.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Unifirst in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird set a $198.00 price target on shares of Unifirst in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on Unifirst from $182.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Unifirst currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $181.00.

Unifirst Profile

UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) is a leading provider of customized uniform rental and facility service programs in North America and Europe. The company specializes in the rental, laundering and maintenance of workwear, corporate apparel and protective garments for a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, hospitality, healthcare and food processing. UniFirst also offers a suite of facility service products such as entrance mats, restroom supplies, wipers, mops and hygienic services designed to help customers maintain clean and safe environments.

In addition to its core uniform rental business, UniFirst has expanded its product portfolio to include safety and first-responder gear, flame-resistant clothing, high-visibility apparel and personal protective equipment (PPE).