United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) Shares Sold by Marshall Wace LLP

Marshall Wace LLP cut its stake in shares of United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) by 10.5% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 52,001 shares of the company’s stock after selling 6,080 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP owned about 0.09% of United Natural Foods worth $681,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in United Natural Foods by 12.2% in the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 6,584 shares of the company’s stock worth $86,000 after buying an additional 716 shares during the last quarter. Keynote Financial Services LLC boosted its stake in United Natural Foods by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter. Keynote Financial Services LLC now owns 17,517 shares of the company’s stock worth $229,000 after purchasing an additional 1,091 shares during the last quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of United Natural Foods by 3.6% in the second quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC now owns 37,235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $488,000 after buying an additional 1,303 shares during the last quarter. Diversified Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 1.4% in the second quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 94,859 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,243,000 after buying an additional 1,322 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its position in United Natural Foods by 1.1% during the first quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 138,049 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,632,000 after acquiring an additional 1,560 shares during the last quarter. 87.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

United Natural Foods Trading Up 2.7 %

Shares of UNFI stock opened at $19.85 on Wednesday. United Natural Foods, Inc. has a 1-year low of $8.58 and a 1-year high of $23.15. The firm has a market cap of $1.18 billion, a PE ratio of -8.24 and a beta of 0.63. The company has a 50-day moving average of $15.35 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.52.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 1st. The company reported $0.01 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.08) by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $8.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.94 billion. United Natural Foods had a negative net margin of 0.36% and a positive return on equity of 0.54%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($0.25) EPS. On average, analysts predict that United Natural Foods, Inc. will post 0.65 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on UNFI. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of United Natural Foods from $16.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on United Natural Foods from $15.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of United Natural Foods from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of United Natural Foods from $14.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, United Natural Foods has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.40.

Insider Activity at United Natural Foods

In related news, insider Danielle Benedict sold 15,152 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.78, for a total transaction of $299,706.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 100,423 shares in the company, valued at $1,986,366.94. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 2.10% 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.