United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) Shares Down 3%

United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) shares dropped 3% on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $8.82 and last traded at $8.83. Approximately 385,143 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 44% from the average daily volume of 685,456 shares. The stock had previously closed at $9.10.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on UNFI shares. StockNews.com downgraded United Natural Foods from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Thursday, March 14th. Roth Mkm restated a “neutral” rating and set a $13.00 price target (down previously from $15.00) on shares of United Natural Foods in a report on Thursday, March 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of United Natural Foods from $15.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and four have assigned a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $13.40.

United Natural Foods Stock Up 0.6 %

The firm has a market capitalization of $527.23 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.55 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 1.53. The business’s 50 day moving average is $12.09 and its 200-day moving average is $14.28.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 6th. The company reported $0.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.02) by $0.09. United Natural Foods had a positive return on equity of 1.20% and a negative net margin of 0.38%. The business had revenue of $7.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.87 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.78 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that United Natural Foods, Inc. will post -0.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at United Natural Foods

In related news, CAO Richard Eric Esper sold 4,375 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.35, for a total value of $49,656.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 32,865 shares in the company, valued at $373,017.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On United Natural Foods

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of United Natural Foods by 3.9% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,434,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $105,128,000 after buying an additional 277,636 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 10.9% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,040,105 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,847,000 after acquiring an additional 199,757 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its stake in shares of United Natural Foods by 24.7% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 136,489 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,221,000 after purchasing an additional 27,005 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund acquired a new stake in shares of United Natural Foods in the third quarter valued at approximately $538,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its position in United Natural Foods by 176.5% in the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 172,033 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,433,000 after purchasing an additional 109,812 shares during the last quarter. 87.63% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

United Natural Foods Company Profile

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.