United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) Given Average Recommendation of “Reduce” by Brokerages

Shares of United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) have earned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the five analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and four have assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $13.60.

Several research analysts have weighed in on UNFI shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of United Natural Foods from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, June 13th. Roth Mkm raised their price target on shares of United Natural Foods from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 6th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on United Natural Foods from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 6th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Natural Foods

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its position in shares of United Natural Foods by 2,136.5% during the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 657,320 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,668,000 after acquiring an additional 627,930 shares during the last quarter. Private Management Group Inc. increased its position in shares of United Natural Foods by 49.5% during the 2nd quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 1,773,670 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,235,000 after purchasing an additional 587,163 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,587,059 shares of the company’s stock worth $87,175,000 after purchasing an additional 321,020 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 23.1% during the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,267,280 shares of the company’s stock worth $16,601,000 after purchasing an additional 237,496 shares during the period. Finally, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in United Natural Foods during the first quarter valued at about $2,317,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.63% of the company’s stock.

United Natural Foods Stock Performance

Shares of UNFI opened at $13.26 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $13.48 and a 200-day moving average of $12.70. United Natural Foods has a one year low of $8.58 and a one year high of $20.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.51 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The company has a market cap of $788.57 million, a PE ratio of -5.50 and a beta of 0.68.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, June 5th. The company reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.10. United Natural Foods had a negative return on equity of 0.35% and a negative net margin of 0.47%. The firm had revenue of $7.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.51 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.54 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that United Natural Foods will post 0.06 EPS for the current fiscal year.

United Natural Foods Company Profile

United Natural Foods, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes natural, organic, specialty, produce, and conventional grocery and non-food products in the United States and Canada. It operates in two segments, Wholesale and Retail. The company offers grocery and general merchandise, produce, perishables and frozen foods, wellness and personal care items, and bulk and foodservice products.