United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:UNFI) saw its stock rise 2.7% in premarket trading Tuesday after posting fourth-quarter earnings that topped analyst estimates, despite disruption from a cyberattack during the period.
The food distributor reported an adjusted loss of -$0.11 per share, ahead of consensus expectations of -$0.16. Quarterly revenue reached $7.7 billion, beating forecasts of $7.61 billion and marking a 1.6% increase on a comparable 13-week basis, excluding the extra week included in the prior fiscal year.
The solid performance stood out given the challenges from the cyber incident. Executives emphasized that the company delivered resilient operational results.
“UNFI delivered a solid fourth quarter as we effectively navigated the cyber incident in collaboration with our customers and suppliers,” said Sandy Douglas, UNFI’s Chief Executive Officer. “In fiscal 2025, we continued to enhance our value proposition and delivered above-industry sales growth, while improving our effectiveness and efficiency.”
Looking ahead, UNFI issued guidance for fiscal 2026 that suggests continued momentum. Management projects revenue between $31.6 billion and $32 billion, just shy of the $32.23 billion analysts had expected. Adjusted earnings, however, are forecast in the range of $1.50 to $2.30 per share, comfortably above the consensus estimate of $1.46.
At the midpoint, the company’s Adjusted EBITDA outlook implies a gain of around 20% compared to fiscal 2025, underscoring confidence in its growth trajectory. UNFI also pointed to a sharp improvement in free cash flow, which rose by $331 million year over year.
Financial leverage improved significantly, with net debt falling to $1.83 billion, the lowest since 2018. Net leverage dropped to 3.3x, down 0.7x from the prior year, providing greater flexibility for the company to pursue its strategic priorities in the year ahead.
United Natural Foods stock price
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