Unifirst (NYSE:UNF) Hits New 52-Week High – What’s Next?

Unifirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF) hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $242.02 and last traded at $240.4650, with a volume of 91543 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $238.27.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Unifirst from $152.00 to $145.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. UBS Group increased their price objective on Unifirst from $182.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $198.00 target price on Unifirst in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research upgraded Unifirst from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Unifirst in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $181.00.

Unifirst Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $4.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.94 and a beta of 0.73. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $202.72 and a 200-day simple moving average of $180.29.

Unifirst (NYSE:UNF) last announced 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 net margin of 5.70% and a return on equity of 6.68%. The firm had revenue of $621.32 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $615.23 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.31 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Unifirst has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.580-6.980 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Unifirst Corporation will post 7.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Unifirst Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $0.365 dividend. This represents a $1.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. Unifirst’s payout ratio is presently 19.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Unifirst news, VP David Martin Katz sold 1,464 shares of Unifirst stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.54, for a total value of $347,758.56. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 6,461 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,534,745.94. The trade was a 18.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.86% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Unifirst

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. River Road Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Unifirst by 0.5% during the second quarter. River Road Asset Management LLC now owns 793,765 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $149,402,000 after purchasing an additional 4,339 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in Unifirst by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 787,418 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $151,895,000 after buying an additional 14,751 shares during the period. Engine Capital Management LP lifted its stake in Unifirst by 640.5% during the fourth quarter. Engine Capital Management LP now owns 459,871 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $88,709,000 after buying an additional 397,772 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of Unifirst by 46.8% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 451,194 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $87,035,000 after buying an additional 143,853 shares during the period. Finally, Brandes Investment Partners LP boosted its holdings in shares of Unifirst by 164.2% in the fourth quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 367,786 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $70,946,000 after buying an additional 228,586 shares during the period. 78.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Unifirst Company 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).