United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) is set to report first-quarter earnings before the bell on Tuesday, December 2, and Wall Street's most accurate analysts have been busy adjusting their forecasts ahead of the release.
The Providence, Rhode Island-based distributor is expected to post earnings of 40 cents per share, a significant jump from just 16 cents per share in the same quarter last year. On the revenue side, analysts are looking for $7.91 billion, compared to $7.87 billion a year earlier.
The optimism isn't coming out of nowhere. Back on September 30, United Natural Foods delivered fourth-quarter results that sailed past expectations and issued fiscal 2026 earnings guidance above what analysts had penciled in. That performance prompted several top analysts to revise their outlooks.
Shares rose 1.5% to close at $37.63 on Wednesday, reflecting renewed confidence in the company's trajectory.
What the Most Accurate Analysts Are Saying
Here's how analysts with strong track records have positioned themselves on UNFI recently:
BMO Capital analyst Kelly Bania, who boasts a 68% accuracy rate, maintained an Outperform rating and lifted the price target from $36 to $48 on October 1. That's the most bullish call among the group.
Wells Fargo analyst Edward Kelly, with a 64% accuracy rate, kept an Equal-Weight rating while raising the target from $26 to $36 on the same day.
Deutsche Bank analyst Krisztina Katai, who has a 63% accuracy rate, maintained a Hold rating but actually cut the price target from $33 to $24 back on June 12—well before the strong Q4 print changed the narrative.
UBS analyst Mark Carden, with a 56% accuracy rate, stayed Neutral but bumped the target from $29 to $42 on October 1.
Goldman Sachs analyst Leah Jordan, who has a 53% accuracy rate, also maintained a Neutral rating and increased the price target from $29 to $40 on October 1.
The pattern is clear: most analysts raised their targets following the September earnings beat, with the stock now trading near or above several of those revised figures. Tuesday's results will show whether the momentum can continue or if expectations have gotten ahead of reality.
