# Unifirst Corporation (UNF) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-11-04. NYSE, United States. Sector: Industrials / Professional Services. Price $256.12, market value $4.6 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 42.5×** (5-yr avg 31.3×, 3-yr avg 31.0×). Unifirst Corporation trades at 42.5× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 31.3×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Industrials median in the September 2026 study was 25.7×. Forward P/E is 27.3×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **Price / sales: 1.8×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 1.8×.
- **Price / book: 2.1×**. The shares trade at 2.1× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 16.0×**. Enterprise value is 16.0× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 1.5%** (5-yr avg 2.1%). Free cash flow equals 1.5% of the market value, below its five-year average of 2.1%, so the shares are pricier on cash than usual.
- **Earnings yield: 2.4%**. The inverse of the P/E: 2.4% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 5.4%**. 5.4% of revenue is left after running the business.
- **Net margin: 4.3%**. 4.3% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 4.9%**. 4.9% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 5.3%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 5.3%: close to or below the cost of capital, so growth may not create value.
- **Return on assets: 3.8%**. Each dollar of assets produces 3.8% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 3.7%** (3-yr 4.2%/yr, 5-yr 6.7%/yr). Revenue grew 3.7% over the last year, against 6.7% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -24.6%** (3-yr 2.9%/yr, 5-yr -5.4%/yr). Earnings per share fell 24.6%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 17.4%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 17.4% a year over three years, keeping pace with earnings: the growth is real cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.00**. Debt is 0.00 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: net cash**. Unifirst Corporation holds more cash than debt.
- **Current ratio: 3.14** (quick 3.14). Current assets cover the next year's liabilities 3.14 times.
- **Altman Z-score: 6.73**. A Z-score of 6.73 places the company in the safe zone for bankruptcy risk.
- **Piotroski F-score: 6/9**. 6 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 0.59%** ($1.46 per share, trailing). Unifirst Corporation yields 0.59%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 23%** (36% of free cash flow). 23% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 10**. 10 straight years of increases, a record that survived at least one recession.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 7.2%/yr** (1-yr 5.6%). The dividend has grown 7.2% a year over five years.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: hold** (3 analysts). 3 analysts cover Unifirst Corporation; the consensus is hold, with an average price target of $281.67 (+10% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 68.3%** (YTD 34.4%, 3-mo -11.3%). The shares are up 68.3% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -16.5%** (73.5% above the low). Trading 16% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: below**. The price sits below its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of a downtrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 46**. An RSI of 46 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.22** (volatility 35%). Beta of 0.22 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=UNF · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/unf

Not investment advice.