Core Insights - UniFirst Corporation has been recognized for 22 consecutive years on Selling Power's list of the "60 Best Companies to Sell For in 2025," highlighting its strong sales culture and commitment to customer service [1][4]. Company Overview - UniFirst is a North American leader in providing customized business uniform programs, facility service products, and first aid and safety services [1][6]. - The company serves over two million uniform wearers across North America, including more than half of the Fortune 500 companies [4]. Sales Culture - The company's sales culture is built on its Founding Core Values: Customer Focus, Commitment to Quality, and Respect for Others [3]. - UniFirst empowers its sales teams to understand customers' businesses deeply, enabling them to develop innovative strategies that address unique challenges [3][4]. Recognition and Evaluation - Selling Power evaluates companies based on their supportive and collaborative sales culture, with a focus on professionalism, trust, and empowerment [4]. - The recognition reflects UniFirst's long-term success in sales and customer engagement [4]. Recruitment and Growth - UniFirst is actively recruiting talented individuals to join its award-winning sales team, indicating ongoing growth and expansion [5].

Core Viewpoint - Growth investors are interested in stocks with above-average financial growth, but identifying such stocks can be challenging due to associated risks and volatility [1] Group 1: Company Overview - Aramark (ARMK) is identified as a promising growth stock with a favorable Growth Score and a top Zacks Rank [2] - The company provides food, facilities, and uniform services, making it a strong candidate for growth investment [3] Group 2: Earnings Growth - Aramark has a historical EPS growth rate of 32.8%, with projected EPS growth of 24.9% this year, significantly higher than the industry average of 10.9% [4] Group 3: Asset Utilization - The company's asset utilization ratio (sales-to-total-assets ratio) is 1.37, indicating that Aramark generates $1.37 in sales for every dollar in assets, outperforming the industry average of 0.96 [5] Group 4: Sales Growth - Aramark's sales are expected to grow by 7% this year, compared to an industry average of 0% [6] Group 5: Earnings Estimate Revisions - There has been a positive trend in earnings estimate revisions for Aramark, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year increasing by 0.1% over the past month [7] Group 6: Investment Positioning - Aramark holds a Zacks Rank of 2 and a Growth Score of A, positioning it well for potential outperformance in the market [9]

Investors might want to bet on Aramark (ARMK) , as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). An upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices -- has triggered this rating change.A company's changing earnings picture is at the core of the Zacks rating. The system tracks the Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus measure of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years.Since a changing earning ...

Core Viewpoint - Momentum investing focuses on "buying high and selling higher," contrasting with traditional strategies of "buying low and selling high" [1] Group 1: Momentum Investing Characteristics - Momentum investing can be risky as stocks may lose momentum when their valuations exceed future growth potential, leading to potential losses for investors [2] - A safer approach may involve investing in bargain stocks that are experiencing recent price momentum, utilizing tools like the Zacks Momentum Style Score to identify such opportunities [3] Group 2: Aramark (ARMK) Analysis - Aramark (ARMK) has shown a price increase of 7.4% over the past four weeks, indicating growing investor interest [4] - Over the past 12 weeks, ARMK's stock has gained 29.9%, demonstrating its ability to deliver positive returns over a longer timeframe [5] - ARMK has a beta of 1.28, suggesting it moves 28% more than the market in either direction, indicating fast-paced momentum [5] - The stock has a Momentum Score of A, suggesting it is an opportune time to invest [6] - ARMK has received a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) due to upward revisions in earnings estimates, which typically attract more investor interest [7] - The stock is trading at a Price-to-Sales ratio of 0.63, indicating it is relatively undervalued, as investors pay only 63 cents for each dollar of sales [7] Group 3: Additional Investment Opportunities - Besides ARMK, there are other stocks that meet the criteria of the 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen, presenting additional investment opportunities [8] - The Zacks Premium Screens offer over 45 different strategies tailored to help investors find winning stock picks [9]

Growth stocks are attractive to many investors, as above-average financial growth helps these stocks easily grab the market's attention and produce exceptional returns. However, it isn't easy to find a great growth stock.That's because, these stocks usually carry above-average risk and volatility. In fact, betting on a stock for which the growth story is actually over or nearing its end could lead to significant loss.However, it's pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks with the help of the Zacks Gro ...

UniFirst (UNF) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.17 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.12 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.19 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +2.36%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this uniform provider would post earnings of $1.31 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.4, delivering a surprise of +6.87%.Over the last four quarters, the company ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated revenues for Q3 fiscal 2025 were $610.8 million, an increase of 1.2% from $603.3 million in the same quarter of fiscal 2024 [6][12] - Consolidated operating income decreased to $48.2 million from $48.5 million, a decline of 0.6% [12] - Net income increased to $39.7 million or $2.13 per diluted share, up from $38.1 million or $2.03 per diluted share [12] - Consolidated adjusted EBITDA increased to $85.8 million from $84.8 million, reflecting a 1.2% increase [12] - Effective tax rate increased to 25.7% compared to 22.9% in the prior year [12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Core Laundry operations revenues were $533.2 million, an increase of 0.9% from the previous year [13] - Core Laundry organic growth was 1.1%, adjusting for acquisitions and currency fluctuations [14] - Specialty Garments segment revenues increased to $47.8 million, a 0.5% rise from the prior year [16] - First Aid segment revenues increased to $29.8 million, a 9% increase driven by growth in van operations [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Customer retention improved compared to Q3 fiscal 2024, but there was softness in customer wearer levels [9] - Direct sales revenues were lower compared to the same quarter last year, impacting overall growth [10][62] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on investing in people, technology, and infrastructure to enhance growth and profitability [6][10] - The strategy includes improving operational execution, strategic pricing, procurement sourcing, and inventory management [11] - The company is implementing a new ERP system to enable better operational efficiencies [11][41] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted a cautious mood among existing customers regarding investments and employment levels, particularly in manufacturing sectors [21] - The pricing environment remains challenging, with potential impacts from tariffs and vendor cost increases [24][25] - The company maintains its annual revenue guidance between $2.422 billion and $2.432 billion, while increasing diluted earnings per share guidance to $7.60 to $8.00 [18] Other Important Information - The company incurred approximately $5.7 million in advisory and legal costs during the quarter, with some related to prior strategic discussions [15][56] - Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $211.9 million, with no long-term debt [17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you unpack organic growth further? - Management noted improvements in new business and customer retention but highlighted softness in wearer levels impacting overall growth [20][21] Question: What insights can you provide on pricing dynamics? - Management indicated a fluid situation with pricing, impacted by inflation recovery and potential tariff effects [24][25] Question: How is the environment for new sales? - Management observed incremental positive momentum in new sales compared to six months ago, but not dramatically different [30] Question: What is the status of key initiatives and cost reductions? - Key initiative costs are primarily related to the ongoing ERP implementation, with costs currently being capitalized [38][41] Question: How are labor costs trending? - Labor costs are stable, with improvements in execution and efficiency noted [52][53] Question: What is the impact of strategic advisory and legal expenses? - The costs were related to prior strategic discussions and ongoing legal matters, with an accrual built for the latter [56]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consolidated revenues for Q3 2025 were $610.8 million, an increase of 1.2% from $603.3 million in Q3 2024 [6][12] - Consolidated operating income decreased to $48.2 million from $48.5 million, a decline of 0.6% [12] - Net income increased to $39.7 million or $2.13 per diluted share, up from $38.1 million or $2.03 per diluted share [12] - Consolidated adjusted EBITDA increased to $85.8 million from $84.8 million, reflecting a 1.2% growth [12] - Effective tax rate increased to 25.7% compared to 22.9% in the prior year [12] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Core Laundry operations revenues were $533.2 million, an increase of 0.9% from the previous year [13] - Core Laundry organic growth was 1.1%, adjusting for acquisitions and currency fluctuations [14] - Specialty Garments segment revenues increased to $47.8 million from $47.6 million, a growth of 0.5% [15] - First Aid segment revenues increased to $29.8 million from $27.3 million, reflecting a 9% growth [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Customer retention improved compared to Q3 2024, although there was some softness in customer wearer levels [8] - Direct sales revenues were lower compared to the same quarter last year, impacting overall growth [9][66] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on enhancing customer experience and operational execution through investments in people, technology, and infrastructure [5][10] - The ongoing ERP project is expected to drive long-term benefits, with current costs being capitalized rather than expensed [41][42] - The company aims to improve strategic pricing, procurement sourcing, and inventory management [10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted a cautious mood among existing customers regarding investments, particularly in manufacturing sectors [21] - The pricing environment remains challenging, with potential future impacts from tariffs on vendor costs [24][45] - The company maintains its annual revenue guidance between $2.422 billion and $2.432 billion, while increasing diluted earnings per share guidance to $7.6 to $8 [18] Other Important Information - The company incurred approximately $5.7 million in advisory and legal costs during the quarter, with some related to prior strategic discussions [17][58] - Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments totaled $211.9 million, with no long-term debt [17] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you unpack organic growth further? - Management characterized the existing customer base as cautious, with some targeted reductions in employment levels impacting growth [21][22] Question: Can you provide insight into pricing dynamics? - Management noted a fluid situation regarding pricing, with companies recovering from high inflation and potential tariff impacts [24][25] Question: How is the new sales environment today? - Management indicated that new sales have shown incremental positive momentum compared to six months ago, but not dramatically different [31] Question: What is the status of key initiatives and cost reductions? - Key initiative costs are primarily related to the ongoing ERP implementation, which is progressing well [40][41] Question: What impact are tariffs expected to have on costs? - Management explained that tariffs could impact garment sourcing costs, but the situation remains fluid [45][47] Question: How are labor costs currently? - Labor costs are stable, with improvements in execution and efficiency noted [55] Question: Can you clarify the strategic advisory and legal expenses? - The costs were related to prior strategic discussions and an ongoing legal matter, with an increased reserve built for the latter [58]

WILMINGTON, Mass., July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) (the "Company," "UniFirst" or "we") today reported results for its third quarter ended May 31, 2025 as compared to the corresponding period in the prior fiscal year: Q3 2025 Financial Highlights The Company's financial results for the third quarter of fiscal 2025 and 2024 included approximately $1.0 million and $3.9 million, respectively, of costs directly attributable to its customer relationship management ("CRM") comput ...

Company Overview - Cintas Corporation (CTAS) was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, primarily providing corporate identity uniforms along with various business services [1] Investment Philosophy - The investment philosophy emphasizes the importance of compounding, dividend reinvesting, and patient investing through market fluctuations to achieve wealth accumulation [1] - The approach combines steady investment in high-quality assets with high-risk, high-reward opportunities, underappreciated turnaround plays, and transformative technologies [1] Personal Background of the Investor - The investor describes themselves as an amateur, self-taught in investing with no formal education in the field, but knowledgeable in identifying credible sources [1] - The investor has over 20 years of teaching experience at the college/university level and holds a PhD from Brunel University, indicating a strong academic background [1]