United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Hold" from the eight research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have given a hold recommendation and two have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $27.50.

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Roth Mkm increased their target price on shares of United Natural Foods from $20.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on United Natural Foods from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Guggenheim restated a "neutral" rating on shares of United Natural Foods in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. CL King raised United Natural Foods from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $33.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of United Natural Foods from $23.00 to $32.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th.

United Natural Foods Price Performance

UNFI traded up $0.21 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $27.60. 765,925 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 706,294. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $29.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $25.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -17.58 and a beta of 0.56. United Natural Foods has a one year low of $8.58 and a one year high of $34.76.

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United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $0.22 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.18 by $0.04. United Natural Foods had a positive return on equity of 1.27% and a negative net margin of 0.30%. The business had revenue of $8.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.96 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.07 EPS. United Natural Foods's revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that United Natural Foods will post 0.76 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Natural Foods

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in United Natural Foods by 66.5% during the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 931 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 372 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. acquired a new position in United Natural Foods during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in United Natural Foods in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in United Natural Foods in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in United Natural Foods by 796.2% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,882 shares of the company's stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,672 shares during the period. 87.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.