UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at StockNews.com

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Separately, Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of UniFirst from $199.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, UniFirst has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $186.25.

UniFirst Stock Up 0.6 %

UNF traded up $0.97 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $177.30. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 29,366 shares, compared to its average volume of 83,954. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $192.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $184.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.82 and a beta of 0.84. UniFirst has a 12 month low of $149.58 and a 12 month high of $208.20.

Insider Activity

In other UniFirst news, CEO Steven S. Sintros sold 3,207 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.04, for a total transaction of $619,079.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 22,571 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,357,105.84. The trade was a 12.44 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP David Martin Katz sold 587 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $193.08, for a total value of $113,337.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 5,625 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,086,075. This trade represents a 9.45 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,294 shares of company stock valued at $2,546,632 over the last 90 days. 0.86% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UniFirst

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System grew its position in shares of UniFirst by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 7,600 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $1,304,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its holdings in UniFirst by 22.2% during the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 2,862 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $491,000 after purchasing an additional 519 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in UniFirst in the second quarter valued at approximately $92,000. Versor Investments LP acquired a new stake in UniFirst in the second quarter worth $326,000. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of UniFirst by 8.9% during the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 622,048 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $106,700,000 after purchasing an additional 51,088 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

UniFirst Company Profile

UniFirst Corporation provides workplace uniforms and protective work wear clothing in the United States, Europe, and Canada. The company operates through U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing, Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning, and First Aid segments. It designs, manufactures, personalizes, rents, cleans, delivers, and sells a range of uniforms and protective clothing, including shirts, pants, jackets, coveralls, lab coats, smocks, and aprons; and specialized protective wear, such as flame resistant and high visibility garments.