UniFirst Reports 2.7% Revenue Growth to $621.3 Million in Q1 2026
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 07 2026
0mins
Should l Buy UNF?
Source: Globenewswire
- Revenue Growth: UniFirst's Q1 2026 revenue increased by 2.7% to $621.3 million, primarily driven by organic growth in its core Uniform & Facility Service Solutions segment, indicating the company's stability and growth potential in the market.
- Margin Decline: The operating margin decreased from 9.2% to 7.3%, reflecting planned expenditures on digital transformation and growth investments, which, while impacting short-term profits, lay the groundwork for future profitability improvements.
- Net Income Decrease: The net income for the first quarter was $34.4 million, down from $43.1 million in the prior year, with diluted earnings per share at $1.89, highlighting the company's balancing act between growth investments and profitability.
- Shareholder Returns: UniFirst repurchased $31.7 million in stock during the first quarter and declared a cash dividend of $0.365 per share, marking the eighth consecutive year of dividend growth, demonstrating strong cash flow and commitment to shareholders.
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Analyst Views on UNF
Wall Street analysts forecast UNF stock price to fall
5 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
3 Hold
2 Sell
Moderate Sell
Current: 235.050
Low
145.00
Averages
177.25
High
206.00
Current: 235.050
Low
145.00
Averages
177.25
High
206.00
About UNF
UniFirst Corporation is engaged in supplying and servicing uniform and workwear programs and facility service products. Its segments include United States (U.S.) and Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing (MFG), Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning (Specialty Garments), First Aid and Corporate. The U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers and sells, uniforms and protective clothing and non-garment items in the United States and Canada. The MFG segment designs and manufactures uniforms and non-garment items primarily for the purpose of providing these goods to the U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment. Specialty Garments segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers and sells specialty garments and non-garment items primarily for nuclear and cleanroom applications and provides cleanroom cleaning services at limited customer locations. First Aid segment sells first aid cabinet products and services and other safety supplies.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Strong Stock Performance: UniFirst shares rose 19.16% to $238.12 on Tuesday, reaching a new 52-week high, reflecting optimistic market expectations for its future growth and a positive investor reaction to the acquisition news.
- Technical Analysis: The stock is currently trading above key moving averages, with the 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day SMAs showing increases of 15.6%, 22.8%, and 33.8% respectively, indicating a strong upward trend despite some short-term bearish pressure.
- Market Sentiment Shift: While the RSI indicates neutral momentum, investors should monitor the key support level at $209.50, as approaching this level could signal potential trend reversal risks, necessitating cautious trading strategies.
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- Historical Volatility Analysis: The calculated annualized volatility for Unifirst Corp stands at 35% based on the last 251 trading days' closing prices, suggesting that this high volatility may influence investors' risk assessments in options trading.
- Options Trading Strategy: With the current stock price at $205.31, investors must carefully evaluate the potential rewards and risks of selling May options at a $220 strike price, particularly the risk of forfeiting upside beyond $220.
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- Ownership Proportion Analysis: This acquisition increases UniFirst's stake to 1.59% of Tweedy, Browne's reportable U.S. equity assets totaling $1.24 billion, highlighting its significance within the investment portfolio.
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- Dividend Declaration: UniFirst has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.365 per Class A share and $0.292 per Class B share, maintaining consistency with previous distributions, which reflects the company's ongoing commitment to stable cash flow and shareholder returns.
- Payment Schedule: The dividends are payable on March 27, with a record date of March 6 and an ex-dividend date also set for March 6, ensuring shareholders receive their earnings promptly and bolstering investor confidence.
- Revenue Outlook Reaffirmed: UniFirst has reaffirmed its revenue outlook for fiscal 2026 at $2.475 billion to $2.495 billion, indicating a positive business outlook despite the ongoing review of the Cintas acquisition proposal.
- Earnings Report Performance: Although UniFirst's GAAP EPS of $1.89 missed expectations by $0.10, its revenue of $621.3 million exceeded forecasts by $6.07 million, demonstrating the company's resilience in revenue growth.
See More
UniFirst Engages in Acquisition Talks with Cintas
- Acquisition Talks Progress: UniFirst is actively engaged in acquisition discussions with Cintas, although the negotiations are still preliminary with no final price or timeline, indicating significant market interest in the potential deal.
- Strong Stock Performance: UniFirst shares rose 19.16% to $238.12 on Tuesday, reaching a new 52-week high, reflecting optimistic market expectations for its future growth and a positive investor reaction to the acquisition news.
- Technical Analysis: The stock is currently trading above key moving averages, with the 20-day, 50-day, and 100-day SMAs showing increases of 15.6%, 22.8%, and 33.8% respectively, indicating a strong upward trend despite some short-term bearish pressure.
- Market Sentiment Shift: While the RSI indicates neutral momentum, investors should monitor the key support level at $209.50, as approaching this level could signal potential trend reversal risks, necessitating cautious trading strategies.
See More
Datadog Beats Earnings Estimates, Shares Surge 16.3%
- Strong Earnings Report: Datadog reported a quarterly earnings per share of $0.59, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $0.56, indicating a sustained enhancement in the company's profitability and reinforcing its leadership position in the cloud monitoring market.
- Sales Exceed Expectations: The company achieved quarterly sales of $953.194 million, exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $916.577 million, demonstrating Datadog's robust performance in customer demand and market share, which may attract more investor interest.
- Significant Stock Surge: Following the positive earnings report, Datadog's shares jumped 16.3% to $132.59 on Tuesday, reflecting market optimism regarding the company's future growth potential, which could further bolster investor confidence.
- Overall Market Performance: U.S. stocks were generally higher, with the Dow Jones gaining around 200 points on Tuesday, indicating a positive sentiment towards tech stocks, potentially providing a more favorable investment environment for companies like Datadog.
See More
Analysis of Unifirst Corp's Dividend and Volatility
- Dividend Yield Expectation: Unifirst Corp's latest dividend suggests an annualized yield of 0.7%, which is cautious given the company's historical profitability fluctuations, indicating market hesitance regarding future earnings.
- Historical Volatility Analysis: The calculated annualized volatility for Unifirst Corp stands at 35% based on the last 251 trading days' closing prices, suggesting that this high volatility may influence investors' risk assessments in options trading.
- Options Trading Strategy: With the current stock price at $205.31, investors must carefully evaluate the potential rewards and risks of selling May options at a $220 strike price, particularly the risk of forfeiting upside beyond $220.
- Market Sentiment Factors: The unpredictability of dividends is closely tied to the company's earnings volatility, prompting investors to integrate fundamental analysis with historical data to better assess future dividend payment capabilities.
See More
Tweedy, Browne Acquires New Stake in UniFirst
- New Investment Disclosure: Tweedy, Browne disclosed a new position in UniFirst by acquiring 102,059 shares during Q4, amounting to approximately $19.69 million, reflecting confidence in the company and enhancing its position in a diversified portfolio.
- Ownership Proportion Analysis: This acquisition increases UniFirst's stake to 1.59% of Tweedy, Browne's reportable U.S. equity assets totaling $1.24 billion, highlighting its significance within the investment portfolio.
- Financial Performance Overview: UniFirst's latest quarter showed a 2.7% year-over-year revenue increase to $621.3 million, although operating margins compressed from 9.2% to 7.3%; however, management reaffirmed full-year revenue guidance of up to $2.50 billion, indicating confidence in future growth.
- Market Competitiveness: As a leading provider of workplace uniforms and facility services, UniFirst leverages a vertically integrated business model and stable cash flows to maintain a competitive edge in the U.S., Canada, and European markets, particularly in rental and cleaning services.
See More
UniFirst Declares $0.365 Dividend, Kaiser Aluminum Announces $0.77 Dividend
- UniFirst Dividend Announcement: UniFirst's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.365 per share, payable on March 27, 2026, reflecting the company's ongoing profitability and commitment to shareholder returns.
- Kaiser Aluminum Dividend Declaration: Kaiser Aluminum announced a cash dividend of $0.77 per share, payable on February 13, 2026, demonstrating the company's strong performance in maintaining stable cash flow and shareholder returns.
- Agree Realty Dividend Increase: Agree Realty declared a monthly cash dividend of $0.262, with an annualized amount rising to $3.144, a 3.6% increase from Q1 2025, showcasing the company's focus on shareholder value and confidence in profit growth.
- Labcorp Dividend Payment: Labcorp Holdings announced a cash dividend of $0.72 per share, payable on March 12, 2026, indicating its robust financial performance in the innovative laboratory services sector.
See More
UniFirst (UNF) Declares $0.365 Dividend Per Share, Consistent with Previous
- Dividend Declaration: UniFirst has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.365 per Class A share and $0.292 per Class B share, maintaining consistency with previous distributions, which reflects the company's ongoing commitment to stable cash flow and shareholder returns.
- Payment Schedule: The dividends are payable on March 27, with a record date of March 6 and an ex-dividend date also set for March 6, ensuring shareholders receive their earnings promptly and bolstering investor confidence.
- Revenue Outlook Reaffirmed: UniFirst has reaffirmed its revenue outlook for fiscal 2026 at $2.475 billion to $2.495 billion, indicating a positive business outlook despite the ongoing review of the Cintas acquisition proposal.
- Earnings Report Performance: Although UniFirst's GAAP EPS of $1.89 missed expectations by $0.10, its revenue of $621.3 million exceeded forecasts by $6.07 million, demonstrating the company's resilience in revenue growth.
See More
