Tearsheet

UniFirst (UNF)


Market Price (12/4/2025): $179.21 | Market Cap: $3.3 Bil
Sector: Industrials | Industry: Diversified Support Services

UniFirst (UNF)


Market Price (12/4/2025): $179.21
Market Cap: $3.3 Bil
Sector: Industrials
Industry: Diversified Support Services

Investment Highlights Why It Matters Which of these 2 stories sounds closer for this stock?

1. Generates cash flow

The stock generated 4% or more of the share price (called cash flow yield), and shows moderate 10-15% or more growth.

2. Riding a trend

Think Tesla during the pandemic of 2020 when EVs were riding a cultural high, or Nvidia in the current AI boom, or even Figma. These companies don’t have enough yield, or, enough growth, or both - however - they are riding a trend. They have momentum. These can be more volatile - they don’t have the floor of strong cash flow


0 Attractive yield
Total YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 5.6%
Weak multi-year price returns
2Y Excs Rtn is -45%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -78%
Weak revenue growth
Rev Chg QQuarterly Revenue Change % is -4.0%
1 Attractive cash flow generation
CFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 12%
  
2 Low stock price volatility
Vol 12M is 38%
  
3 Megatrend and thematic drivers
Megatrends include Circular Economy. Themes include Commercial Textile Reuse & Management.
  
0 Attractive yield
Total YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 5.6%
1 Attractive cash flow generation
CFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 12%
2 Low stock price volatility
Vol 12M is 38%
3 Megatrend and thematic drivers
Megatrends include Circular Economy. Themes include Commercial Textile Reuse & Management.
4 Weak multi-year price returns
2Y Excs Rtn is -45%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -78%
5 Weak revenue growth
Rev Chg QQuarterly Revenue Change % is -4.0%

Valuation, Metrics & Events

UNF Stock


Why The Stock Moved


Qualitative Assessment

AI Generated Analysis | Feedback

Over the approximate period from August 31, 2025, to December 4, 2025, UniFirst (UNF) experienced a net stock movement of -0.2%. This marginal decline was influenced by a combination of factors, including its recent financial performance, activist investor interest, analyst sentiment, and significant institutional trading activity. 1. Disappointing Fiscal 2026 Guidance Offset Strong Q4 2025 Earnings. UniFirst reported its fourth-quarter and full-year fiscal 2025 results on October 22, 2025. While the company surpassed analyst expectations for both EPS ($2.28 actual vs. $2.15 consensus) and revenue ($614.45 million actual vs. $607.02 million consensus) for Q4, the stock experienced a significant drop, declining over 11% in pre-market trading. This negative market reaction was primarily due to the company's cautious fiscal year 2026 revenue guidance, which projected between $2.475 billion and $2.495 billion, falling below the analyst consensus of $2.537 billion. Additionally, quarterly net income decreased to $41.0 million ($2.23 per diluted share) from $44.6 million ($2.39 per diluted share) in the prior year.

2. Activist Investor Engine Capital Pushed for a Potential Sale and Board Changes. In late November 2025, activist investor Engine Capital, holding approximately 3.2% of UniFirst's common stock, publicly urged the company's board to explore a sale. The investor criticized the board for declining private discussions and highlighted the company's stagnant share price compared to its competitor, Cintas Corporation. Engine Capital also revealed that UniFirst had rejected a "cash-rich premium offer" from Cintas. This news led to a 3.6% increase in UniFirst's stock on November 25, 2025.

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Stock Movement Drivers

Return vs. Risk


Price Returns Compared

 202020212022202320242025Total [1]
Returns
UNF Return5%-0%-8%-5%-6%4%-9%
Peers Return5%28%8%17%24%-8%91%
S&P 500 Return16%27%-19%24%23%16%112%

Monthly Win Rates [3]
UNF Win Rate58%50%42%58%42%60% 
Peers Win Rate52%62%52%58%58%44% 
S&P 500 Win Rate58%75%42%67%75%70% 

Max Drawdowns [4]
UNF Max Drawdown-37%-9%-26%-21%-17%-12% 
Peers Max Drawdown-41%-11%-18%-8%-4%-13% 
S&P 500 Max Drawdown-31%-1%-25%-1%-2%-15% 


[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] Peers: CTAS, ARMK, LOPE, PBH, TRI. See UNF Returns vs. Peers.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2025 data is for the year up to 12/3/2025 (YTD)

How Low Can It Go

Unique KeyEventUNFS&P 500
2022 Inflation Shock2022 Inflation Shock  
2022 Inflation Shock% Loss% Loss-41.2%-25.4%
2022 Inflation Shock% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven70.2%34.1%
2022 Inflation ShockTime to BreakevenTime to BreakevenNot Fully Recovered days464 days
2020 Covid Pandemic2020 Covid Pandemic  
2020 Covid Pandemic% Loss% Loss-40.9%-33.9%
2020 Covid Pandemic% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven69.3%51.3%
2020 Covid PandemicTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven294 days148 days
2018 Correction2018 Correction  
2018 Correction% Loss% Loss-30.2%-19.8%
2018 Correction% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven43.3%24.7%
2018 CorrectionTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven214 days120 days
2008 Global Financial Crisis2008 Global Financial Crisis  
2008 Global Financial Crisis% Loss% Loss-59.2%-56.8%
2008 Global Financial Crisis% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven144.9%131.3%
2008 Global Financial CrisisTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven303 days1480 days

Compare to CTAS, ARMK, LOPE, PBH, TRI


In The Past

UniFirst's stock fell -41.2% during the 2022 Inflation Shock from a high on 3/10/2021. A -41.2% loss requires a 70.2% gain to breakeven.

Preserve Wealth

Limiting losses and compounding gains is essential to preserving wealth over time.

Asset Allocation

Actively managed asset allocation strategies protect wealth. Learn more.

About UniFirst (UNF)

Better Bets than UniFirst (UNF)

Trade Ideas

Select past ideas related to UNF. For more, see Trefis Trade Ideas.

Unique KeyDateTickerCompanyCategoryTrade Strategy6M Fwd Rtn12M Fwd Rtn12M Max DD
CNM_11212025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11212025CNMCore & MainDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
9.5%9.5%-1.6%
VRRM_11212025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11212025VRRMVerra MobilityDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
3.2%3.2%-1.2%
LII_11212025_Dip_Buyer_ValueBuy11212025LIILennox InternationalDip BuyDB | P/E OPMDip Buy with Low PE and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with tame PE and meaningfully high operating margin
7.5%7.5%0.0%
ADP_11212025_Monopoly_xInd_xCD_Getting_Cheaper11212025ADPAutomatic Data ProcessingMonopolyMY | Getting CheaperMonopoly-Like with P/S Decline
Large cap with monopoly-like margins or cash flow generation and getting cheaper based on P/S multiple
2.8%2.8%-1.2%
CW_11212025_Quality_Momentum_RoomToRun_10%11212025CWCurtiss-WrightQualityQ | Momentum | UpsideQuality Stocks with Momentum and Upside
Buying quality stocks with strong momentum but still having room to run
0.0%0.0%0.0%
UNF_3312020_Dip_Buyer_2_Growing_With_High_FCF_Yield03312020UNFUniFirstDip BuyDB | Growth | FCF YieldDip Buy with Growth and High Free Cash Flow Yield
Buying dips for companies with growth, and significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap)
26.6%48.8%-8.7%
Unique KeyDateTickerCompanyCategoryTrade Strategy6M Fwd Rtn12M Fwd Rtn12M Max DD
CNM_11212025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11212025CNMCore & MainDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
9.5%9.5%-1.6%
VRRM_11212025_Dip_Buyer_FCFYield11212025VRRMVerra MobilityDip BuyDB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin
3.2%3.2%-1.2%
LII_11212025_Dip_Buyer_ValueBuy11212025LIILennox InternationalDip BuyDB | P/E OPMDip Buy with Low PE and High Margin
Buying dips for companies with tame PE and meaningfully high operating margin
7.5%7.5%0.0%
ADP_11212025_Monopoly_xInd_xCD_Getting_Cheaper11212025ADPAutomatic Data ProcessingMonopolyMY | Getting CheaperMonopoly-Like with P/S Decline
Large cap with monopoly-like margins or cash flow generation and getting cheaper based on P/S multiple
2.8%2.8%-1.2%
CW_11212025_Quality_Momentum_RoomToRun_10%11212025CWCurtiss-WrightQualityQ | Momentum | UpsideQuality Stocks with Momentum and Upside
Buying quality stocks with strong momentum but still having room to run
0.0%0.0%0.0%
UNF_3312020_Dip_Buyer_2_Growing_With_High_FCF_Yield03312020UNFUniFirstDip BuyDB | Growth | FCF YieldDip Buy with Growth and High Free Cash Flow Yield
Buying dips for companies with growth, and significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap)
26.6%48.8%-8.7%

Recent Active Movers

Recent Active Movers

More From Trefis

Peer Comparisons for UniFirst

Peers to compare with:

Financials

UNFCTASARMKLOPEPBHTRIMedian
NameUniFirst Cintas Aramark Grand Ca.Prestige.Thomson . 
Mkt Price177.38184.7137.60153.7260.28134.30144.01
Mkt Cap3.374.59.94.33.060.47.1
Rev LTM2,43210,55717,8751,0911,1107,3764,904
Op Inc LTM1842,4177932973442,128569
FCF LTM1431,7022812422551,822268
FCF 3Y Avg1071,5851272232421,869232
CFO LTM2972,1207672792632,459532
CFO 3Y Avg2691,9795302622502,456400

Growth & Margins

UNFCTASARMKLOPEPBHTRIMedian
NameUniFirst Cintas Aramark Grand Ca.Prestige.Thomson . 
Rev Chg LTM0.2%8.2%4.0%7.0%-0.0%3.0%3.5%
Rev Chg 3Y Avg6.8%9.1%6.0%6.5%0.1%3.9%6.2%
Rev Chg Q-4.0%8.7%5.7%9.6%-3.4%3.4%4.5%
QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM-1.0%2.1%1.4%2.1%-0.9%0.8%1.1%
Op Mgn LTM7.6%22.9%4.4%27.2%31.0%28.9%25.1%
Op Mgn 3Y Avg7.0%21.8%3.8%26.6%30.4%26.9%24.2%
QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM-0.1%0.1%0.1%0.1%-0.1%2.3%0.1%
CFO/Rev LTM12.2%20.1%4.3%25.6%23.7%33.3%21.9%
CFO/Rev 3Y Avg11.3%20.2%3.1%25.8%22.4%34.6%21.3%
FCF/Rev LTM5.9%16.1%1.6%22.2%23.0%24.7%19.1%
FCF/Rev 3Y Avg4.5%16.2%0.7%21.8%21.7%26.4%18.9%

Valuation

UNFCTASARMKLOPEPBHTRIMedian
NameUniFirst Cintas Aramark Grand Ca.Prestige.Thomson . 
Mkt Cap3.374.59.94.33.060.47.1
P/S1.37.80.65.62.89.54.2
P/EBIT16.734.213.119.29.329.417.9
P/E20.744.730.428.815.239.829.6
P/CFO10.339.014.321.811.628.418.1
Total Yield5.6%2.6%4.3%3.5%6.6%4.0%4.1%
Dividend Yield0.8%0.4%1.0%0.0%0.0%1.5%0.6%
FCF Yield 3Y Avg3.2%2.3%1.2%5.1%7.7%2.8%3.0%
D/E0.00.00.60.00.30.00.0
Net D/E-0.00.00.6-0.00.30.00.0

Returns

UNFCTASARMKLOPEPBHTRIMedian
NameUniFirst Cintas Aramark Grand Ca.Prestige.Thomson . 
1M Rtn13.9%1.7%0.0%-16.1%-0.5%-13.4%-0.2%
3M Rtn1.2%-9.9%-3.5%-25.2%-9.9%-24.0%-9.9%
6M Rtn-5.3%-18.4%-6.5%-21.1%-28.9%-30.9%-19.8%
12M Rtn-10.5%-16.4%-5.7%-7.6%-28.8%-17.3%-13.4%
3Y Rtn-6.9%64.0%27.4%40.6%-5.7%18.9%23.1%
1M Excs Rtn13.9%1.7%0.1%-16.1%-0.5%-13.3%-0.2%
3M Excs Rtn-6.2%-15.8%-9.3%-30.4%-15.0%-29.9%-15.4%
6M Excs Rtn-20.0%-33.1%-21.2%-35.8%-43.6%-45.6%-34.5%
12M Excs Rtn-24.6%-31.1%-20.2%-20.2%-42.4%-29.7%-27.2%
3Y Excs Rtn-77.7%-5.8%-41.0%-33.7%-73.0%-52.1%-46.5%

Financials

Segment Financials

Revenue by Segment

$ Mil20252024202320222021
Uniform & Facility Service Solution2,224    
First Aid & Safety Solutio10695776569
Other97    
Corporate 53373549
Manufacturing (MFG) 298281264215
Net intercompany Manufacturing (MFG) Elimination -298-281-264-215
Specialty Garments 177153145133
US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning 1,9081,7331,5811,552
Total2,4272,2332,0011,8261,804


Operating Income by Segment
$ Mil20252024202320222021
Uniform & Facility Service Solution169    
Other16    
First Aid & Safety Solutio-2-3-0-15
Corporate -266-243-192-172
Manufacturing (MFG) 88657464
Net intercompany Manufacturing (MFG) Elimination -170-010
Specialty Garments 37242518
US and Canadian Rental and Cleaning 293289291247
Total184134134196173


Price Behavior

Short Interest

Short Interest: As Of Date11142025
Short Interest: Shares Quantity422,451
Short Interest: % Change Since 1031202515.7%
Average Daily Volume144,121
Days-to-Cover Short Interest2.93
Basic Shares Quantity18,374,000
Short % of Basic Shares2.3%

SEC Filings

Expand for More

Report DateFiling DateFiling
83120251029202510-K 8/30/2025
5312025709202510-Q 5/31/2025
2282025410202510-Q 3/1/2025
11302024110202510-Q 11/30/2024
83120241114202410-K 8/31/2024
5312024703202410-Q 5/25/2024
2292024404202410-Q 2/24/2024
11302023104202410-Q 11/25/2023
83120231026202310-K 8/26/2023
5312023706202310-Q 5/27/2023
2282023406202310-Q 2/25/2023
11302022105202310-Q 11/26/2022
83120221026202210-K 8/27/2022
5312022707202210-Q 5/28/2022
2282022407202210-Q 2/26/2022
11302021106202210-Q 11/27/2021