Analysts Set Unifirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF) PT at $174.75

by · The Markets Daily

Shares of Unifirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF – Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the six research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $174.75.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays decreased their price target on Unifirst from $152.00 to $145.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. UBS Group set a $182.00 target price on Unifirst in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Unifirst from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Unifirst in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th.

Read Our Latest Report on Unifirst

Institutional Trading of Unifirst

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UNF. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its holdings in shares of Unifirst by 285.7% during the second quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 135 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Unifirst during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Unifirst by 474.1% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 155 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Unifirst by 378.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 153 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in shares of Unifirst in the third quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

Unifirst Trading Up 0.9%

Unifirst stock opened at $199.41 on Wednesday. Unifirst has a 52 week low of $147.66 and a 52 week high of $243.70. The stock has a market cap of $3.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.99 and a beta of 0.76. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $167.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $172.10.

Unifirst (NYSE:UNF – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The textile maker reported $2.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.15 by $0.13. Unifirst had a net margin of 6.10% and a return on equity of 7.11%. The company had revenue of $614.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $607.02 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Unifirst has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.580-6.980 EPS. Research analysts expect that Unifirst will post 7.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Unifirst Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 5th will be given a dividend of $0.365 per share. This is a boost from Unifirst’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 5th. This represents a $1.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Unifirst’s payout ratio is currently 18.30%.

Key Headlines Impacting Unifirst

Here are the key news stories impacting Unifirst this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Cintas submitted a $275-per-share, all-cash proposal (approx. $5.2B) to buy UniFirst, a ~64% premium to recent trading — a direct, high-value exit for UNF shareholders that explains the rally. Reuters: Cintas makes $5.2B bid
  • Positive Sentiment: Cintas says combining the companies unlocks large route-density efficiencies (MarketBeat cites ~$375M in annual cost savings) and included a $350M reverse-termination fee — signaling seriousness and boosting deal credibility. MarketBeat: Bid ignites route dominance
  • Positive Sentiment: Activist investor Boyar Value Group urged the UniFirst board to launch a formal strategic review in light of the offer, increasing pressure on management to engage with bidders or seek better alternatives. BusinessWire: Boyar urges strategic review
  • Neutral Sentiment: UniFirst officially confirmed receipt of the unsolicited, non‑binding proposal on Dec. 22 — the company must now evaluate the offer and can seek competing bids or negotiate. GlobeNewswire: UniFirst confirms receipt
  • Neutral Sentiment: UniFirst will report its Q1 fiscal 2026 results on Jan. 7, 2026 — any forward guidance or commentary could influence deal dynamics or the stock if management signals strategic intent. GlobeNewswire: Q1 results date
  • Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and outlets are reassessing UNF valuation after a sharp one‑month rebound — the offer forces a re-price whether the deal closes or triggers a rival bid/strategic review. Yahoo Finance: Valuation assessment
  • Negative Sentiment: Control by the Croatti family (dual-class shares) gives them outsized voting power and could block a sale despite the large cash premium — a major governance obstacle. MarketBeat: Family control could block sale
  • Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/antitrust risk from combining the #1 and #3 players and some brokerages maintaining conservative ratings (consensus “Reduce”) create deal closure risk and downside if the offer fails. AmericanBankingNews: Broker ratings

About Unifirst

(Get Free Report)

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).

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