United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.400-2.600 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.570. The company issued revenue guidance of $31.1 billion-$31.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $31.3 billion.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of United Natural Foods from $48.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of United Natural Foods from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of United Natural Foods from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 11th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of United Natural Foods from $40.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $43.63.

United Natural Foods Stock Down 10.9%

Shares of UNFI stock opened at $46.02 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $49.14 and a 200-day moving average of $41.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11. United Natural Foods has a 12-month low of $20.78 and a 12-month high of $57.02. The company has a market capitalization of $2.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -35.40 and a beta of 0.81.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, June 9th. The company reported $0.77 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.78 by ($0.01). United Natural Foods had a positive return on equity of 6.05% and a negative net margin of 0.25%.The company had revenue of $7.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.79 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.44 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. United Natural Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.400-2.600 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that United Natural Foods will post 2.52 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Danielle Benedict sold 4,807 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.00, for a total value of $249,964.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 98,470 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,120,440. This trade represents a 4.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 2.40% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting United Natural Foods

Here are the key news stories impacting United Natural Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted better margins, improved adjusted EBITDA, and stronger cash flow, suggesting the company is making progress on execution and deleveraging. UNFI Q3 Earnings Call Puts Focus on 2027 Growth Path
• Positive Sentiment: United Natural Foods reiterated a $695 million adjusted EBITDA midpoint and said it expects a return to sales growth in fiscal 2027, which may support investor confidence in the turnaround story. UNFI expects return to growth in fiscal 2027 while reiterating $695M adjusted EBITDA midpoint
• Neutral Sentiment: The earnings call emphasized operational improvements and technology-led execution, but the market appears to be waiting for proof that these initiatives can translate into sustained top-line growth. United Natural Foods Earnings Call Highlights Margin Upside
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 revenue came in below expectations at $7.72 billion, and same-quarter sales fell 4.2% year over year, reinforcing concerns about weaker demand and distribution-network headwinds. United Natural Foods (UNFI) Q3 Earnings and Revenues Lag Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: The company missed EPS estimates by a small margin and narrowed FY2026 guidance, which disappointed investors and pressured the stock. United Natural Foods shares fall after quarterly revenue miss
• Negative Sentiment: Management also pointed to higher energy costs and reduced SNAP benefits as factors weighing on consumer demand, adding to near-term uncertainty for the wholesale grocery business. United Natural Foods Warns Higher Energy Prices, SNAP Cuts Are Impacting Consumers

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNFI. Quarry LP bought a new position in United Natural Foods in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in United Natural Foods by 4,266.7% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 786 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 768 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in United Natural Foods by 84.2% in the second 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 in the last quarter. Arax Advisory Partners grew its position in United Natural Foods by 37.4% in the fourth quarter. Arax Advisory Partners now owns 1,102 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in United Natural Foods in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors own 87.63% of the company’s stock.

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.