UniFirst Corporation (UNF) Financial Ratios
30 years of historical data (1996–2025) · Industrials · Specialty Business Services
EV/EBITDA
↓
14.05
+16% vs avg
5yr avg: 12.10
30Y Low4.3·High14.7
P/FCF
↓
33.43
↓-26% vs avg
5yr avg: 44.91
30Y Low7.4·High74.5
P/B Ratio
↓
2.18
↑+21% vs avg
5yr avg: 1.79
30Y Low0.7·High2.5
ROE
↓
6.8%
↓+3% vs avg
5yr avg: 6.6%
30Y Low5%·High14%
Debt/EBITDA
↑
0.22
+7% vs avg
5yr avg: 0.21
30Y Low0.0·High1.8
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
UNF Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
UniFirst Corporation trades at 31.9x earnings, 13% above its 5-year average of 28.1x, sitting at the 93rd percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Industrials sector median P/E of 25.9x, the stock trades at a premium of 23%. On a free-cash-flow basis, the stock trades at 33.4x P/FCF, 26% below the 5-year average of 44.9x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $4.7B | $3.3B | $3.6B | $3.3B | $3.5B | $4.4B | $3.8B | $3.8B | $3.7B | $2.9B | $2.6B |
| Enterprise Value | $4.6B | $3.2B | $3.5B | $3.2B | $3.1B | $4.4B | $3.8B | $3.4B | $3.4B | $2.6B | $2.2B |
| P/E Ratio → | 31.87 | 22.28 | 24.41 | 31.45 | 33.53 | 28.82 | 27.63 | 21.00 | 22.56 | 41.74 | 20.81 |
| P/S Ratio | 1.94 | 1.36 | 1.46 | 1.46 | 1.73 | 2.39 | 2.08 | 2.08 | 2.18 | 1.83 | 1.76 |
| P/B Ratio | 2.18 | 1.52 | 1.68 | 1.63 | 1.81 | 2.33 | 2.15 | 2.29 | 2.52 | 2.00 | 1.90 |
| P/FCF | 33.43 | 23.37 | 26.34 | 74.54 | — | 55.38 | 22.07 | 23.17 | 31.51 | 26.54 | 23.65 |
| P/OCF | 15.98 | 11.17 | 12.03 | 15.12 | 28.26 | 20.52 | 13.09 | 13.33 | 16.07 | 13.34 | 12.46 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
UNF EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
UniFirst Corporation's enterprise value stands at 14.1x EBITDA, 16% above its 5-year average of 12.1x. This is roughly in line with the Industrials sector median of 13.7x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 1.30 | 1.42 | 1.45 | 1.57 | 2.43 | 2.13 | 1.87 | 2.02 | 1.61 | 1.51 |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.05 | 9.70 | 10.64 | 12.65 | 12.84 | 14.65 | 13.78 | 10.02 | 12.21 | 12.77 | 7.82 |
| EV / EBIT | 24.90 | 16.24 | 18.84 | 23.40 | 23.39 | 22.57 | 22.21 | 14.19 | 18.30 | 22.25 | 10.88 |
| EV / FCF | — | 22.45 | 25.65 | 74.21 | — | 56.48 | 22.57 | 20.79 | 29.21 | 23.35 | 20.33 |
UNF Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
UniFirst Corporation earns an operating margin of 7.6%, above the Industrials sector average of 4.7%. Operating margins have expanded from 6.0% to 7.6% over the past 3 years, signaling improving operational efficiency. ROE of 6.8% is modest, trailing the sector median of 8.2%. ROIC of 6.8% represents adequate returns on invested capital versus a sector median of 6.4%.
Margins
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 30.8% | 30.8% | 34.9% | 33.7% | 34.7% | 37.5% | 35.4% | 37.0% | 37.7% | 37.5% | 38.7% |
| Operating Margin | 7.6% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 6.0% | 6.7% | 10.7% | 9.6% | 12.8% | 10.8% | 6.9% | 13.7% |
| Net Profit Margin | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.0% | 4.6% | 5.2% | 8.3% | 7.5% | 9.9% | 9.7% | 4.4% | 8.5% |
Return on Capital
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 6.8% | 6.9% | 7.1% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 8.4% | 8.0% | 11.5% | 11.2% | 5.0% | 9.6% |
| ROA | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 6.6% | 6.4% | 9.2% | 8.9% | 4.0% | 7.7% |
| ROIC | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 7.8% | 8.4% | 14.2% | 11.9% | 7.9% | 15.3% |
| ROCE | 7.4% | 7.5% | 7.8% | 6.0% | 6.2% | 9.5% | 9.0% | 13.2% | 11.1% | 6.9% | 13.9% |
UNF Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
UniFirst Corporation carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 0.2x, which is very conservative (93% below the sector average of 3.1x). The company holds a net cash position — cash of $204M exceeds total debt of $72M, providing substantial financial flexibility for buybacks, acquisitions, or weathering downturns.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.02 | — | — | — | — |
| Debt / EBITDA | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.21 | 0.25 | 0.21 | 0.14 | 0.15 | — | — | — | — |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | -0.06 | -0.04 | -0.01 | -0.17 | 0.05 | 0.05 | -0.23 | -0.18 | -0.24 | -0.27 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -0.40 | -0.40 | -0.29 | -0.06 | -1.33 | 0.28 | 0.30 | -1.14 | -0.96 | -1.74 | -1.28 |
| Debt / FCF | — | -0.93 | -0.69 | -0.34 | — | 1.10 | 0.49 | -2.37 | -2.31 | -3.19 | -3.33 |
| Interest Coverage | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 217.00 |
Net cash position: cash ($204M) exceeds total debt ($72M)
UNF Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
UniFirst Corporation's current ratio of 3.18x is well above the 1.0 safety threshold, indicating strong short-term liquidity with ample room to cover current liabilities. The quick ratio of 1.90x is notably lower than the current ratio, indicating a significant portion of current assets is tied up in inventory.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 3.18 | 3.18 | 3.25 | 3.14 | 4.36 | 4.33 | 4.61 | 4.81 | 3.95 | 4.58 | 5.09 |
| Quick Ratio | 1.90 | 1.90 | 1.85 | 1.66 | 2.84 | 3.06 | 3.37 | 3.31 | 2.62 | 3.28 | 3.67 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.72 | 0.72 | 0.62 | 0.34 | 1.54 | 2.01 | 2.26 | 2.03 | 1.36 | 1.97 | 2.38 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 0.88 | 0.90 | 0.87 | 0.82 | 0.77 | 0.82 | 0.88 | 0.92 | 0.87 | 0.86 |
| Inventory Turnover | 4.51 | 4.51 | 4.00 | 3.73 | 3.52 | 3.51 | 4.47 | 3.99 | 3.99 | 4.31 | 4.15 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 42.81 | 41.93 | 45.62 | 45.46 | 41.64 | 38.62 | 41.04 | 43.20 | 42.94 | 38.93 |
UNF Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
UniFirst Corporation returns 2.0% to shareholders annually — split between a 0.5% dividend yield and 1.5% buyback yield. The payout ratio of 16.6% is conservative, leaving significant room for dividend growth or reinvestment. The earnings yield of 3.1% (inverse of P/E) provides a useful comparison to bond yields when assessing the stock's relative attractiveness to fixed income.
Dividends
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Payout Ratio | 16.6% | 16.6% | 16.0% | 21.3% | 20.1% | 12.0% | 11.6% | 4.6% | 2.6% | 4.1% | 2.3% |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 3.1% | 4.5% | 4.1% | 3.2% | 3.0% | 3.5% | 3.6% | 4.8% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 4.8% |
| FCF Yield | 3.0% | 4.3% | 3.8% | 1.3% | — | 1.8% | 4.5% | 4.3% | 3.2% | 3.8% | 4.2% |
| Buyback Yield | 1.5% | 2.1% | 0.7% | 0.1% | 1.3% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 3.9% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 2.0% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 1.9% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 4.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $19M | $19M | $19M | $19M | $19M | $19M | $19M | $20M | $20M | $20M |
Peer Comparison
Compare UNF with 10 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 UNFYou | $5B | 31.9 | 14.1 | 33.4 | 30.8% | 7.6% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 0.2 |
 CTAS | $68B | 38.5 | 24.7 | 38.8 | 50.0% | 22.8% | 40.3% | 25.8% | 0.9 |
 ABM | $2B | 15.7 | 9.2 | 15.4 | 11.7% | 3.7% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 3.9 |
 ARMK | $12B | 37.5 | 13.5 | 26.5 | 5.8% | 4.3% | 10.5% | 7.3% | 4.5 |
 ACCO | $372M | 9.2 | 6.8 | 7.3 | 29.8% | 7.1% | 6.5% | 5.5% | 5.1 |
 G | $6B | 10.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 35.6% | 15.0% | 22.4% | 17.2% | 2.1 |
 KELYA | $345M | -1.4 | — | 3.0 | 20.1% | -1.6% | -23.0% | -4.0% | — |
 ALSN | $11B | 17.4 | 11.0 | 16.4 | 48.4% | 32.3% | 35.4% | 22.2% | 2.7 |
 SCI | $11B | 20.6 | 12.0 | 19.6 | 26.5% | 22.6% | 32.7% | 11.3% | 3.9 |
 BFAM | $4B | 19.8 | 12.9 | 14.2 | 23.6% | 10.7% | 14.8% | 8.0% | 4.3 |
 LYB | $24B | -31.3 | 34.0 | 61.6 | 9.0% | -1.1% | -6.5% | -1.1% | 15.0 |
| Industrials Median | — | 25.9 | 13.7 | 21.0 | 33.0% | 4.7% | 8.2% | 6.4% | 3.1 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
Download Financial Ratios Data
Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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Start ComparisonUNF — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying UNF stock.
What is UniFirst Corporation's P/E ratio?
UniFirst Corporation's current P/E ratio is 31.9x. The historical average is 19.1x. This places it at the 93th percentile of its historical range.
What is UniFirst Corporation's EV/EBITDA?
UniFirst Corporation's current EV/EBITDA is 14.1x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 8.0x.
What is UniFirst Corporation's ROE?
UniFirst Corporation's return on equity (ROE) is 6.8%. The historical average is 9.8%.
Is UNF stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, UniFirst Corporation is trading at a P/E of 31.9x. This is at the 93th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What is UniFirst Corporation's dividend yield?
UniFirst Corporation's current dividend yield is 0.52% with a payout ratio of 16.6%.
What are UniFirst Corporation's profit margins?
UniFirst Corporation has 30.8% gross margin and 7.6% operating margin.
How much debt does UniFirst Corporation have?
UniFirst Corporation's Debt/EBITDA ratio is 0.2x, indicating low leverage. A ratio below 2x is generally considered financially healthy.