United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) Receives Average Recommendation of “Reduce” from Brokerages

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) has earned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the five research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $13.40.

UNFI has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com cut United Natural Foods from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, March 14th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $13.00 price objective (down from $15.00) on shares of United Natural Foods in a research report on Thursday, March 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of United Natural Foods from $15.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 7th.

Insider Activity at United Natural Foods

In related news, CAO Richard Eric Esper sold 4,375 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.35, for a total transaction of $49,656.25. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 32,865 shares in the company, valued at $373,017.75. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of United Natural Foods

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of United Natural Foods by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,434,767 shares of the company’s stock worth $105,128,000 after buying an additional 277,636 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of United Natural Foods by 10.9% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,040,105 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,847,000 after purchasing an additional 199,757 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 1,720,277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,794,000 after purchasing an additional 26,140 shares in the last quarter. Private Management Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of United Natural Foods by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 803,642 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,363,000 after purchasing an additional 10,603 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in United Natural Foods by 18.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 745,628 shares of the company’s stock worth $12,102,000 after purchasing an additional 115,308 shares in the last quarter. 87.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

United Natural Foods Trading Down 0.2 %

NYSE:UNFI opened at $9.67 on Friday. United Natural Foods has a 1 year low of $8.58 and a 1 year high of $28.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 1.53. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $11.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $13.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $574.78 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.96 and a beta of 0.63.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 6th. The company reported $0.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by $0.09. United Natural Foods had a negative net margin of 0.38% and a positive return on equity of 1.20%. The firm had revenue of $7.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.87 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.78 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that United Natural Foods will post -0.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.