Q4 2024 EPS Estimates for UniFirst Co. Boosted by Analyst (NYSE:UNF)

UniFirst Co. (NYSE:UNF) – William Blair upped their Q4 2024 earnings estimates for shares of UniFirst in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, June 26th. William Blair analyst T. Mulrooney now expects that the textile maker will earn $2.04 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.96. The consensus estimate for UniFirst’s current full-year earnings is $7.44 per share. William Blair also issued estimates for UniFirst’s Q1 2025 earnings at $2.39 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $1.45 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $2.09 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $8.15 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $8.97 EPS.

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 27th. The textile maker reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by ($0.19). UniFirst had a net margin of 5.44% and a return on equity of 6.93%. The company had revenue of $590.71 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $587.56 million.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on UNF. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of UniFirst from $185.00 to $199.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of UniFirst from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday. StockNews.com raised shares of UniFirst from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 21st. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of UniFirst from $186.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $186.00.

UniFirst Price Performance

NYSE UNF opened at $171.53 on Friday. UniFirst has a 12 month low of $149.58 and a 12 month high of $187.22. The company has a market capitalization of $3.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.04 and a beta of 0.85. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $160.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $167.20.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UniFirst

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in shares of UniFirst by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 12,330 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $2,139,000 after purchasing an additional 611 shares in the last quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of UniFirst by 141.6% in the first quarter. Quadrature Capital Ltd now owns 3,800 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $660,000 after buying an additional 2,227 shares during the period. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of UniFirst in the first quarter worth about $166,000. MQS Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of UniFirst in the first quarter worth about $302,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co boosted its holdings in shares of UniFirst by 5.0% in the first quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 16,093 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $2,789,000 after buying an additional 760 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at UniFirst

In related news, major shareholder Cecelia Levenstein sold 9,733 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.29, for a total value of $1,491,971.57. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 58,325 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,940,639.25. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, VP Michael A. Croatti sold 1,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $169.00, for a total transaction of $304,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 5,747 shares in the company, valued at approximately $971,243. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Cecelia Levenstein sold 9,733 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.29, for a total transaction of $1,491,971.57. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 58,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,940,639.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 28,033 shares of company stock worth $4,398,882 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

UniFirst Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, June 7th were issued a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 7th. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.77%. UniFirst’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.27%.

UniFirst Company Profile

UniFirst Corporation provides workplace uniforms and protective work wear clothing in the United States, Europe, and Canada. The company operates through U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing, Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning, and First Aid segments. It designs, manufactures, personalizes, rents, cleans, delivers, and sells a range of uniforms and protective clothing, including shirts, pants, jackets, coveralls, lab coats, smocks, and aprons; and specialized protective wear, such as flame resistant and high visibility garments.