Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) Reaches New 12-Month High – Here’s Why

Shares of Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $54.59 and last traded at $54.3190, with a volume of 708034 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $53.30.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on ARMK. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $54.00 target price on shares of Aramark in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Aramark from $47.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Aramark from $59.00 to $62.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Aramark from $49.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $51.00 target price on shares of Aramark in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Aramark presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $55.33.

Aramark Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $47.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $42.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85. The firm has a market cap of $14.35 billion, a PE ratio of 40.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.12.

Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 12th. The company reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $4.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.75 billion. Aramark had a net margin of 1.84% and a return on equity of 17.05%. Aramark’s quarterly revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.35 earnings per share. Aramark has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.180-2.280 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Aramark will post 2.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aramark Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 3rd. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 20th were given a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 20th. Aramark’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.82%.

Institutional Trading of Aramark

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ARMK. Activest Wealth Management acquired a new position in Aramark in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Aramark in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Aramark in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Aramark in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of Aramark during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000.

About Aramark

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) is a global provider of food services, facilities management and uniform solutions, serving clients across a wide array of industries including education, healthcare, business and government. The company operates through three primary segments: Food and Support Services, Uniform and Career Apparel, and Facility Services, delivering integrated solutions designed to enhance guest experiences, improve operational efficiencies and maintain safe, clean environments. Aramark’s offerings include corporate dining, patient and senior nutrition, campus dining, sports and entertainment concessions, custodial services, technical maintenance and industrial laundry.

Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Aramark has expanded its footprint to more than 20 countries, with a strong presence in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.