UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The textile maker reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.21 by ($0.08), Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $622.51 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $614.91 million. UniFirst had a return on equity of 6.68% and a net margin of 5.70%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.31 EPS.

UniFirst Stock Up 0.8%

UniFirst stock opened at $253.61 on Thursday. UniFirst has a 52 week low of $147.66 and a 52 week high of $283.77. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $238.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $197.08. The stock has a market cap of $4.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.55 and a beta of 0.69.

UniFirst Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th were paid a $0.365 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.46 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. UniFirst’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.31%.

Key UniFirst News

Here are the key news stories impacting UniFirst this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue beat and modest top‑line growth: UniFirst reported revenue of about $622.5M for the quarter, roughly above the ~ $614.9M consensus and up ~3.4% year‑over‑year — a stabilizing signal for the business. UniFirst Announces Financial Results for the Second Quarter of Fiscal 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Some outlets reported an EPS beat: Zacks published that UniFirst posted $1.25 EPS versus a $1.21 consensus, which — if taken at face value — would be viewed positively by investors. (Note: see conflicting EPS reports below.) UniFirst (UNF) Beats Q2 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst reaction and forecast updates are in play: pre‑print analyst notes and post‑print coverage (Benzinga) highlighted recent forecast changes around the Q2 print; investors will watch revisions and guidance for further moves. UniFirst Gears Up For Q2 Print; Here Are The Recent Forecast Changes From Wall Street’s Most Accurate Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: Reported EPS short of consensus and down year‑over‑year: several sources including the company release/MarketBeat coverage list EPS around $1.13, missing the ~$1.21 consensus and declining from $1.31 a year ago — a negative for near‑term profitability expectations. Investors may be trimming on the EPS miss despite the revenue beat. View Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage discrepancies: reporting differs across outlets (some show an EPS beat, others show a miss). That ambiguity can create short‑term volatility until company/analyst reconciliations or conference call clarifications are provided. UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) surprises with Q1 CY2026 sales

Insider Activity

In related news, VP David Martin Katz sold 1,464 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.54, for a total transaction of $347,758.56. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 6,461 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,534,745.94. This trade represents a 18.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.86% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of UniFirst by 46.8% during the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 451,194 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $87,035,000 after purchasing an additional 143,853 shares during the period. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in UniFirst during the fourth quarter worth about $12,318,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its position in UniFirst by 85.4% in the second quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 105,005 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $19,764,000 after acquiring an additional 48,378 shares during the period. FIL Ltd bought a new stake in UniFirst in the fourth quarter worth about $8,198,000. Finally, Man Group plc boosted its stake in UniFirst by 136.6% in the second quarter. Man Group plc now owns 68,724 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $12,935,000 after acquiring an additional 39,682 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNF has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of UniFirst in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. UBS Group boosted their price objective on UniFirst from $182.00 to $206.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Robert W. Baird set a $198.00 price objective on UniFirst in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research upgraded UniFirst from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Barclays upped their price target on UniFirst from $250.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $214.75.

About UniFirst

UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) is a leading provider of customized uniform rental and facility service programs in North America and Europe. The company specializes in the rental, laundering and maintenance of workwear, corporate apparel and protective garments for a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, hospitality, healthcare and food processing. UniFirst also offers a suite of facility service products such as entrance mats, restroom supplies, wipers, mops and hygienic services designed to help customers maintain clean and safe environments.

In addition to its core uniform rental business, UniFirst has expanded its product portfolio to include safety and first-responder gear, flame-resistant clothing, high-visibility apparel and personal protective equipment (PPE).