Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) Sets New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

Aramark (NYSE:ARMK)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $54.59 and last traded at $54.3190, with a volume of 708034 shares. The stock had previously closed at $53.30.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on ARMK. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Aramark from $45.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $54.00 target price on shares of Aramark in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Aramark in a report on Monday, May 18th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Aramark from $49.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Aramark from $47.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Aramark presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $55.33.

Aramark Stock Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $14.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.12. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $48.44 and a 200 day moving average of $42.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.85, a current ratio of 1.21 and a quick ratio of 1.07.

Aramark (NYSE:ARMK) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 12th. The company reported $0.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.02. Aramark had a return on equity of 17.05% and a net margin of 1.84%.The company had revenue of $4.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.75 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.35 earnings per share. Aramark’s quarterly revenue was up 14.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Aramark has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.180-2.280 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Aramark will post 2.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Aramark Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 3rd. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th were issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 20th. Aramark’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.82%.

Institutional Trading of Aramark

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Activest Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Aramark in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Aramark in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Aramark in the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Aramark in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Aramark in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000.

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.