Unifirst Corporation (UNF) To Go Ex-Dividend on March 6th

Unifirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF) declared a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, January 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of 0.365 per share by the textile maker on Friday, March 27th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th.

Unifirst has increased its dividend by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 7 consecutive years. Unifirst has a payout ratio of 16.9% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Unifirst to earn $8.68 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.46 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 16.8%.

Unifirst Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of UNF opened at $201.91 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $179.44 and its 200-day simple moving average is $173.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.66 billion, a PE ratio of 26.71 and a beta of 0.72. Unifirst has a 12-month low of $147.66 and a 12-month high of $232.14.

Unifirst (NYSE:UNF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The textile maker reported $1.89 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($0.16). The firm had revenue of $621.32 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $615.23 million. Unifirst had a return on equity of 6.68% and a net margin of 5.70%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.31 earnings per share. Unifirst has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.580-6.980 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Unifirst will post 7.71 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Unifirst

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of UNF. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new position in shares of Unifirst during the 4th quarter worth approximately $99,000. DAVENPORT & Co LLC raised its holdings in Unifirst by 15.2% in the 4th quarter. DAVENPORT & Co LLC now owns 7,115 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $1,373,000 after acquiring an additional 937 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of Unifirst by 82.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 8,490 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $1,638,000 after acquiring an additional 3,840 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Unifirst during the 4th quarter worth $4,764,000. Finally, Diversified Trust Co. increased its position in shares of Unifirst by 10.4% in the fourth quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 1,734 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $334,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the period. 78.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Unifirst

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).