United Natural to Come Up With Q4 Earnings: What You Should Know

United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) is likely to witness a top and bottom-line decline when it reports fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 earnings on Sept. 30.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $7.63 billion, implying a 6.5% decrease from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure. The consensus mark for fiscal 2025 top line is pegged at $31.71 billion, which indicates an increase of 2.4% from the year-ago level.

The consensus mark for the bottom line has remained unchanged in the past 30 days at a loss of 22 cents per share, in contrast to earnings of 1 cent reported in the year-ago quarter. The consensus mark for fiscal 2025 earnings is pegged at 59 cents per share, representing an increase from 14 cents in the prior year. UNFI delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 429.5%, on average.

United Natural Foods, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

United Natural Foods, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | United Natural Foods, Inc. Quote

Things to Know Ahead of UNFI’s Q4 Earnings

UNFI is expected to have been pressured by the cybersecurity incident disclosed in early June, which forced management to shut down IT systems and disrupt distribution. The company expects the cyber incident to reduce fiscal 2025 net sales by about $350 million to $400 million and lower adjusted EBITDA by $40 million to $50 million, leading to a total estimated net loss of $50 million to $60 million, which includes the estimated tax impact.

The company has also been dealing with the financial impact of exiting its relationship with Key Food and closing the Allentown distribution center. The contract has been terminated with a $53 million fee that is set to be recognized in the fiscal fourth quarter. These factors are expected to have impacted the top and bottom lines in the to-be-reported quarter.

Despite these near-term challenges, UNFI continues to demonstrate growth and operational resilience, supported by strong demand in its wholesale segment and ongoing consumer interest in natural and organic products. Strategic initiatives, such as expanding its customer base, optimizing the distribution network and investing in automation, have improved efficiency and market reach. Lean management practices have further enhanced execution, aligning supply with customer needs and driving cost savings.

Earnings Whispers for UNFI Stock

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for United Natural this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is not the case here.

United Natural currently has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks With the Favorable Combination

Here are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this reporting cycle.

The Chef's Warehouse (CHEF) currently has an Earnings ESP of +7.32% and a Zacks Rank of 1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The company is likely to register a jump in the top and bottom lines when it reports third-quarter 2025 numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for The Chef's Warehouse’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $981.3 million, which indicates an increase of 5.4% from the prior-year quarter. The consensus estimate for the quarterly earnings per share is pinned at 41 cents, up 13.9% from the year-ago period. CHEF delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.3%, on average.

Kraft Heinz Company (KHC) currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.44% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is likely to register top and bottom-line declines when it reports third-quarter 2025 numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kraft Heinz’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $6.27 billion. The figure calls for a decrease of 1.7% from the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kraft Heinz’s quarterly earnings per share is pegged at 58 cents, indicating a 22.7% plunge from the year-ago period. KHC delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 5.1%, on average.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) currently has an Earnings ESP of +17.43% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is likely to register top and bottom-line declines when it reports third-quarter 2025 numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kimberly-Clark’s quarterly revenues is pegged at $4.17 billion. The figure implies a 15.9% decrease from the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kimberly-Clark’s quarterly earnings per share is pegged at $1.64, indicating a 10.4% fall from the year-ago period figure. KMB delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 6.2%, on average.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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