United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) Shares Down 3.6% - What's Next?

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) traded down 3.6% on Monday . The stock traded as low as $27.50 and last traded at $27.55. 80,596 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 83% from the average session volume of 469,962 shares. The stock had previously closed at $28.59.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Northcoast Research raised United Natural Foods from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of United Natural Foods from $15.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, October 7th. Roth Mkm increased their target price on shares of United Natural Foods from $20.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of United Natural Foods from $16.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of United Natural Foods from $23.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $22.60.

United Natural Foods Stock Down 1.6 %

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $24.55 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $18.73. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The company has a market capitalization of $1.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -17.92 and a beta of 0.63.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 10th. The company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.02) by $0.18. The firm had revenue of $7.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $7.61 billion. United Natural Foods had a positive return on equity of 1.27% and a negative net margin of 0.30%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.04) earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that United Natural Foods, Inc. will post 0.72 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Danielle Benedict sold 9,050 shares of United Natural Foods stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.10, for a total value of $200,005.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 88,218 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,949,617.80. This trade represents a 9.30 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of UNFI. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of United Natural Foods by 66.5% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 931 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 372 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 46.0% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,027 shares of the company's stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 639 shares in the last quarter. nVerses Capital LLC increased its position in shares of United Natural Foods by 85.7% during the third quarter. nVerses Capital LLC now owns 3,900 shares of the company's stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 1,800 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 12.2% in the second quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 6,584 shares of the company's stock valued at $86,000 after acquiring an additional 716 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in United Natural Foods in the second quarter valued at $94,000. 87.63% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.