AQR Capital Management LLC Acquires 1,365 Shares of UniFirst Co. (NYSE:UNF)

AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of UniFirst Co. (NYSE:UNF) by 86.8% in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,937 shares of the textile maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,365 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC’s holdings in UniFirst were worth $504,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Covestor Ltd raised its position in shares of UniFirst by 69.7% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 414 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in UniFirst during the second quarter worth $92,000. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new stake in UniFirst in the 1st quarter valued at about $166,000. Intech Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of UniFirst in the 2nd quarter worth $248,000. Finally, Bridges Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of UniFirst during the second quarter worth about $249,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at UniFirst

In related news, EVP William Masters Ross sold 225 shares of UniFirst stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.67, for a total value of $40,650.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,034 shares in the company, valued at $728,822.78. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, EVP William Masters Ross sold 225 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.67, for a total transaction of $40,650.75. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 4,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $728,822.78. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Michael Iandoli sold 682 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.30, for a total value of $132,512.60. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 4,744 shares in the company, valued at approximately $921,759.20. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.74% of the company’s stock.

UniFirst Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:UNF opened at $189.08 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $187.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $174.06. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.60 and a beta of 0.81. UniFirst Co. has a 12-month low of $149.58 and a 12-month high of $200.07.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on UNF shares. StockNews.com raised shares of UniFirst from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 12th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of UniFirst from $186.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of UniFirst from $185.00 to $199.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 27th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on UniFirst from $170.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, June 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $186.00.

About UniFirst

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.