UniFirst Co. (NYSE:UNF) Holdings Lifted by River Road Asset Management LLC

River Road Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of UniFirst Co. (NYSE:UNF) by 0.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 848,299 shares of the textile maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,078 shares during the period. UniFirst comprises 2.1% of River Road Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 6th largest holding. River Road Asset Management LLC’s holdings in UniFirst were worth $155,162,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in UniFirst by 187.4% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 273 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in UniFirst by 28.9% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 393 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $64,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in UniFirst during the first quarter valued at $69,000. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of UniFirst by 16.7% in the second quarter. SRS Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 579 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $90,000 after buying an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UniFirst in the third quarter worth about $99,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP William Masters Ross sold 2,282 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.27, for a total transaction of $399,966.14. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 4,034 shares in the company, valued at $707,039.18. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.74% of the stock is owned by insiders.

UniFirst Price Performance

Shares of NYSE UNF traded down $1.13 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $156.16. 79,126 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 86,620. UniFirst Co. has a 1-year low of $150.50 and a 1-year high of $187.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.75 and a beta of 0.82. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $168.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $169.79.

UniFirst Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Friday, June 7th will be given a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 7th. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.85%. UniFirst’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.60%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $185.00 price target on shares of UniFirst in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. Barclays boosted their price target on UniFirst from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. UBS Group boosted their price target on UniFirst from $184.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 28th. Finally, StockNews.com cut UniFirst from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and four have given a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $177.75.

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.