Hauser Brothers GmbH Acquires 5,000 Shares of United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI)

Hauser Brothers GmbH increased its stake in shares of United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 912,034 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares during the quarter. United Natural Foods makes up about 11.8% of Hauser Brothers GmbH’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest position. Hauser Brothers GmbH owned approximately 1.52% of United Natural Foods worth $15,340,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new stake in United Natural Foods in the second quarter worth $28,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in shares of United Natural Foods in the 1st quarter worth about $38,000. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 661.8% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,314 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 2,879 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in shares of United Natural Foods by 12.2% during the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 6,584 shares of the company’s stock valued at $86,000 after acquiring an additional 716 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of United Natural Foods in the 2nd quarter worth $94,000. 87.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

United Natural Foods Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:UNFI opened at $25.27 on Tuesday. United Natural Foods, Inc. has a 1-year low of $8.58 and a 1-year high of $25.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The company’s fifty day moving average is $20.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.16.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, October 1st. The company reported $0.01 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.08) by $0.09. United Natural Foods had a negative net margin of 0.36% and a positive return on equity of 0.54%. The firm had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.94 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned ($0.25) earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that United Natural Foods, Inc. will post 0.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at United Natural Foods

In other news, insider Danielle Benedict sold 9,050 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.10, for a total value of $200,005.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 88,218 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,949,617.80. This trade represents a 9.30 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on UNFI shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on United Natural Foods from $14.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of United Natural Foods from $16.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Northcoast Research upgraded shares of United Natural Foods from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on United Natural Foods from $15.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, October 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $18.40.

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.