HighTower Advisors LLC Takes Position in United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI)

HighTower Advisors LLC bought a new position in United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 104,993 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,867,000. HighTower Advisors LLC owned about 0.18% of United Natural Foods at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in United Natural Foods by 66.5% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 931 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 372 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Natural Foods by 46.0% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,027 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 639 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of United Natural Foods by 186.7% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,391 shares of the company's stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 1,557 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in United Natural Foods by 200.2% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,191 shares of the company's stock valued at $87,000 after purchasing an additional 2,128 shares during the period. Finally, Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in United Natural Foods in the third quarter worth approximately $157,000. 87.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on UNFI. Guggenheim reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of United Natural Foods in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Roth Mkm increased their target price on United Natural Foods from $20.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on United Natural Foods from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. CL King raised shares of United Natural Foods from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $33.00 price target for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of United Natural Foods from $23.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $27.50.

United Natural Foods Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNFI traded down $0.37 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $27.08. 948,618 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 678,129. United Natural Foods, Inc. has a 52 week low of $8.58 and a 52 week high of $34.76. The firm has a market cap of $1.64 billion, a PE ratio of -17.25 and a beta of 0.56. The company's 50 day moving average price is $29.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $24.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 0.53.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.04. United Natural Foods had a negative net margin of 0.30% and a positive return on equity of 1.27%. The firm had revenue of $8.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.96 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.07 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that United Natural Foods, Inc. will post 0.76 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.