United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) Shares Up 7.7% After Earnings Beat

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) shares traded up 7.7% during trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $40.81 and last traded at $40.5850. 429,081 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 43% from the average session volume of 753,377 shares. The stock had previously closed at $37.68.

The company reported $0.62 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.51 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $7.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.11 billion. United Natural Foods had a positive return on equity of 4.35% and a negative net margin of 0.32%.The firm’s revenue was down 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.22 EPS. United Natural Foods has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.300-2.700 EPS.

United Natural Foods News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting United Natural Foods this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BMO (and other analysts) raised targets and upgraded UNFI, boosting investor sentiment—BMO raised its price target to $52 and put an “outperform” rating on the stock. BMO and Wells Fargo Raise Targets on Matador (MTDR) and United Natural Foods (UNFI) After Solid Beats
• Positive Sentiment: Q2 EPS beat: UNFI reported $0.62 EPS vs. $0.51 expected and raised FY2026 EPS guidance to $2.30–$2.70 (above consensus), and lifted adjusted EBITDA guidance to ~$710M — positive for profitability/valuation expectations. United Natural Foods, Inc. Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction to margin improvement and cost actions: coverage notes improved margins, rising cash flow and active deleveraging/supply-chain AI work—these operational improvements supported a post-earnings rally. United Natural Foods (UNFI) Stock Rallies on Stronger Margins and Strategic Cost Management
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor access / visibility: UNFI will present at the UBS Global Consumer & Retail Conference (management webcast March 12), providing additional opportunity for guidance color and analyst Q&A. United Natural Foods to Participate at the UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference
• Neutral Sentiment: Street view remains mixed: brokerages’ average rating stands at “Hold,” indicating some continued caution despite upgrades from select firms. United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue miss and lowered sales outlook: Q2 revenue was $7.95B vs. ~$8.11B expected (down 2.6% YoY), and management trimmed FY26 sales guidance — the revenue shortfall and lower top-line outlook pressured shares after the release. United Natural Foods’ Mixed Q2 Results, Cuts Sales Outlook

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on UNFI shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of United Natural Foods from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of United Natural Foods in a research note on Friday, January 9th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on United Natural Foods from $48.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $40.00 price target on United Natural Foods in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Roth Mkm reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $35.00 target price on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $39.78.

Insider Buying and Selling at United Natural Foods

In other news, Director James C. Pappas purchased 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $33.30 per share, for a total transaction of $66,600.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 194,178 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,466,127.40. The trade was a 1.04% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Louis Anthony Martin sold 9,439 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.67, for a total transaction of $327,250.13. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 81,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,816,382.78. This represents a 10.41% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 2.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of United Natural Foods

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of UNFI. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in shares of United Natural Foods by 6.8% in the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 36,814 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,239,000 after buying an additional 2,358 shares during the period. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury increased its stake in United Natural Foods by 19.5% in the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 34,340 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,278,000 after buying an additional 5,609 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 784.6% during the 4th quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 66,910 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,238,000 after buying an additional 59,346 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd increased its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 82.6% in the fourth quarter. XTX Topco Ltd now owns 42,876 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,444,000 after acquiring an additional 19,400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zacks Investment Management acquired a new stake in United Natural Foods during the fourth quarter valued at $1,938,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.63% of the company’s stock.

United Natural Foods Price Performance

The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $37.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $35.64. The company has a market capitalization of $2.46 billion, a PE ratio of -24.46 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 1.38.

United Natural Foods Company Profile

United Natural Foods, Inc (NYSE: UNFI) is a leading distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods in North America. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, the company has grown through strategic acquisitions and organic expansion to become one of the largest food distributors serving retail, foodservice and e-commerce customers.

UNFI’s core business centers on the procurement, warehousing and distribution of a broad portfolio of products, including fresh produce, groceries, frozen foods, dairy, bakery items, beverages, supplements and household essentials.