NBC Securities Inc. Buys 33,243 Shares of United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI)

NBC Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) by 114,631.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 33,272 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 33,243 shares during the quarter. NBC Securities Inc. owned approximately 0.05% of United Natural Foods worth $911,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in UNFI. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. purchased a new position in United Natural Foods during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in United Natural Foods during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in United Natural Foods during the 4th quarter valued at about $47,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its position in United Natural Foods by 796.2% during the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,882 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,672 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in United Natural Foods by 186.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 2,391 shares of the company’s stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 1,557 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 87.63% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on UNFI. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of United Natural Foods from $25.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. CL King raised shares of United Natural Foods from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $33.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of United Natural Foods from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, United Natural Foods currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $27.50.

United Natural Foods Stock Down 8.5%

Shares of United Natural Foods stock opened at $28.86 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $27.12 and its 200-day moving average price is $27.65. The company has a quick ratio of 0.53, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. United Natural Foods, Inc. has a 52-week low of $11.88 and a 52-week high of $34.76. The company has a market cap of $1.75 billion, a P/E ratio of -18.38 and a beta of 1.08.

United Natural Foods (NYSE:UNFI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 11th. The company reported $0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $8.16 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.96 billion. United Natural Foods had a negative net margin of 0.30% and a positive return on equity of 1.27%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.07 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that United Natural Foods, Inc. will post 0.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.