United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) Shares Gap Up Following Strong Earnings

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI)’s share price gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock had previously closed at $34.36, but opened at $38.27. United Natural Foods shares last traded at $37.9470, with a volume of 388,877 shares traded.

The company reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.17. United Natural Foods had a positive return on equity of 2.74% and a negative net margin of 0.37%.The company had revenue of $7.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.91 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.16 EPS. United Natural Foods’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. United Natural Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.500-2.300 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of United Natural Foods from $27.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Roth Capital lifted their price target on shares of United Natural Foods from $25.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Zacks Research raised United Natural Foods from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 15th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of United Natural Foods in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of United Natural Foods from $29.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $36.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other United Natural Foods news, insider Danielle Benedict sold 11,655 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.31, for a total value of $411,538.05. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 89,544 shares in the company, valued at $3,161,798.64. This represents a 11.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Natural Foods

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of United Natural Foods by 88.3% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,077 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 505 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in shares of United Natural Foods by 1,672.7% in the first quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 975 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 920 shares during the period. Quarry LP purchased a new position in shares of United Natural Foods during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in United Natural Foods by 4,266.7% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 786 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 768 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in United Natural Foods by 84.2% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,332 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 609 shares in the last quarter. 87.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Natural Foods Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $38.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $30.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -19.60 and a beta of 0.88.

About United Natural Foods

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.