| Factor | Score | Distribution | Value | Avg | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valuation | 79 | 32.2x | 17.8x | Top tier | |
Growth | 35 | -2.0% | 7.1% | Bottom tier | |
Quality | 45 | 6.3% | 4.5% | Around median | |
Safety | 36 | 4.8x | 2.6x | Bottom tier | |
Capital Return | 92 | — | 2.12% | Top tier | |
Momentum | 71 | 75.3% | 2.9% | Top tier | |
Sentiment | 42 | 6 | 3 | Around median |
Estimates — analyst targets and a simplified DCF, not investment advice.
Ten ratios that matter, each compared against its sector median and average — so you can see whether a number is rich or cheap relative to peers in the same sector.
United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) operates as a distributor of food products to retailers focused on natural, organic, fresh, and specialty foods, alongside conventional products that are part of the assortments of about 90% of its customers. The company targets an addressable market estimated at about $90 billion and generates its revenue primarily from wholesale product distribution, with a retail business that includes Cub, in addition to private-label brands, supplier support programs, professional services, and the UNFI Insights platform.
In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, sales exceeded $7.6 billion, with the reported figure down less than 1% year over year, while the company delivered adjusted earnings per share of $0.69 versus a loss of $0.11 in the comparable period and exceeded the analyst estimate of $0.62. Gross margin was 13.7%, up about 30 basis points, and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization reached $172 million at a margin of 2.3%; meanwhile, the latest available EDGAR data, for the third quarter of fiscal 2026, showed revenue of $7.7 billion, gross profit of $1 billion, and net income of $33 million.
At the mix level, underlying natural product growth outperformed the broader market in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, after sales in this segment grew by about 7% and its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization by about 19% during fiscal 2026. In contrast, underlying conventional product sales declined by a mid-single-digit percentage, and retail sales fell 8% due to planned store network optimization actions, despite the conventional segment’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization growing by more than 50% during fiscal 2026. Fiscal 2026 sales were about $31.2 billion, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization were $701 million, and adjusted earnings per share were $2.65.
Automated analysis for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
The analyst consensus on UNFI is “Neutral,” with an average price target of $48.25 and a wide range between $43 and $56; the highest target is slightly below the 52-week range peak of $57.02, while the low end of the range is $27.97. There is no positive price-to-earnings multiple because of the loss recorded on a trailing-12-month basis, so the valuation depends heavily on achieving adjusted earnings-per-share guidance of between $3 and $3.50 in fiscal 2027 and continuing to reduce leverage, weighed against the risks of weak early-period sales and limited distribution margins.
Figures in the text are as of 2026-09-09; the live price is shown at the top of the page.
UNFI expects fiscal 2027 sales of between $31.2 billion and $31.8 billion, equivalent to growth of about 1% at the midpoint of the range. This depends on increasing the company’s share of business from existing customers, adding new banners, and low-single-digit growth in its $90 billion target market. Management expects sales to contract in the first quarter of fiscal 2027 before growth returns in the second half after the comparison effects of network optimization and the temporary project expire.
Adjusted earnings per share were $0.69 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, exceeding the analyst estimate of $0.62 and compared with a loss of $0.11 in the comparable period. Gross margin increased by about 30 basis points to 13.7%, and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization were $172 million. For fiscal 2026 as a whole, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization reached $701 million, and adjusted earnings per share reached $2.65.
The natural products segment delivered sales growth of about 7% during fiscal 2026, compared with growth in its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization of about 19%. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, its underlying sales again outperformed the broader market, while underlying conventional product sales declined by a mid-single-digit percentage. UNFI also launched more than 130 new stock-keeping units across its private-label brands, including health-focused options, during fiscal 2026.
During fiscal 2026, UNFI completed the rollout of an AI-powered supply chain planning and procurement platform across all distribution centers. It also added AI features to UNFI Insights to analyze store performance and improve supplier demand planning. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, the company consolidated operations from the Racine facility into the expanded Joliet center, which is equipped with case-handling automation, but implementation was still in its early stages and encountered some initial difficulties.
UNFI generated free cash flow of $323 million in fiscal 2026, up $84 million from fiscal 2025. Net leverage declined to 2.2 times from 3.3 times, and net debt fell to less than $1.6 billion by the end of fiscal 2026. The company is targeting free cash flow of between $275 million and $325 million and reducing leverage to below 2 times by the end of fiscal 2027, despite planning capital expenditures of about $300 million.
UNFI operates with a limited operating margin, as its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization margin was 2.3% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, making results sensitive to execution errors and costs. Management incorporated a net fuel impact of about $5 million per quarter into its fiscal 2027 outlook and also cited pressure on food volumes from reduced SNAP benefits and GLP-1 drugs. This is compounded by contraction in conventional products, an 8% decline in retail sales, and initial difficulties in the Racine-to-Joliet transition.
