Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) Hits New 12-Month High – Here’s Why

Aramark (NYSE:ARMK)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $46.17 and last traded at $45.2160, with a volume of 2958806 shares. The stock had previously closed at $45.27.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Aramark from $47.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Aramark from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Aramark in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Aramark from $44.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on Aramark in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $48.67.

Aramark Trading Down 0.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.88 billion, a PE ratio of 38.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.06. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $41.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.39.

Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The company reported $0.51 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.01. Aramark had a net margin of 1.69% and a return on equity of 16.15%. The firm had revenue of $4.83 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.76 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.51 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Aramark has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.180-2.280 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Aramark will post 2.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Aramark Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 18th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 18th. Aramark’s payout ratio is presently 40.34%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its position in shares of Aramark by 6.8% during the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 42,818 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,736,000 after purchasing an additional 2,714 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in Aramark in the first quarter worth $3,089,000. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Aramark by 5.6% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,444 shares of the company’s stock valued at $261,000 after buying an additional 339 shares during the period. OP Asset Management Ltd purchased a new position in Aramark during the first quarter valued at $880,000. Finally, Outlook Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Aramark during the 1st quarter valued at $680,000.

About Aramark

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) is a global provider of food services, facilities management and uniform solutions, serving clients across a wide array of industries including education, healthcare, business and government. The company operates through three primary segments: Food and Support Services, Uniform and Career Apparel, and Facility Services, delivering integrated solutions designed to enhance guest experiences, improve operational efficiencies and maintain safe, clean environments. Aramark’s offerings include corporate dining, patient and senior nutrition, campus dining, sports and entertainment concessions, custodial services, technical maintenance and industrial laundry.

Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Aramark has expanded its footprint to more than 20 countries, with a strong presence in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia.