United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Analysts

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) has been given an average rating of “Reduce” by the five ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and four have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $16.60.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of United Natural Foods from $14.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Roth Mkm lifted their price objective on United Natural Foods from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, June 6th. StockNews.com upgraded United Natural Foods from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, June 13th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on United Natural Foods from $16.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday.

United Natural Foods Stock Performance

NYSE:UNFI traded down $0.96 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $21.00. 1,027,757 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 689,434. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $14.88 and a two-hundred day moving average of $12.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.71 and a beta of 0.64. United Natural Foods has a 12 month low of $8.58 and a 12 month high of $23.15.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 1st. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.08) by $0.09. United Natural Foods had a negative net margin of 0.47% and a negative return on equity of 0.35%. The business had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.94 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.25) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that United Natural Foods will post 0.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On United Natural Foods

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 12.8% in the 2nd quarter. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC now owns 162,402 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,127,000 after acquiring an additional 18,400 shares during the last quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP bought a new position in United Natural Foods during the second quarter valued at approximately $233,000. Aristeia Capital L.L.C. bought a new stake in United Natural Foods during the second quarter valued at approximately $661,000. Bank of Montreal Can increased its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 393.9% in the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 86,658 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,147,000 after purchasing an additional 69,111 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Public Sector Pension Investment Board raised its stake in United Natural Foods by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 130,775 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,713,000 after purchasing an additional 7,496 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.63% of the company’s stock.

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.