Highlights

  • Fourth quarter fiscal 2026 revenues were $645.0 million, and net income was $34.7 million, or $1.90 per diluted share.
  • Fourth quarter results included approximately $14.4 million of costs tied to the proposed merger with Cintas Corporation.
  • Cash and cash equivalents totaled $192.1 million, and the company had no long-term debt outstanding as of August 29, 2026.
  • The company no longer provides financial guidance and expects the Cintas transaction to close before the end of calendar year 2026.

UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) shares were trading at USD 250.29 on October 27, 2026, down 10.50%, with a relative volume at time of 21.72. The uniform and workwear provider received a Canadian Competition Bureau information request on July 2, entered a timing agreement with the Federal Trade Commission on October 2, and reported fourth quarter and full year fiscal 2026 results on October 21.

UniFirst is incorporated in Massachusetts and is headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The company supplies and services uniform and workwear programs, facility service products, and first aid and safety supplies and services. It also manages specialized garment programs for the cleanroom and nuclear industries. UniFirst reports three segments: Uniform & Facility Service Solutions, First Aid & Safety Solutions, and Other. It cites more than 270 service locations, over 300,000 customer locations and 15,000-plus employee Team Partners. Its fiscal 2026 ended on August 29, 2026.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, consolidated revenues increased 5.0% to $645.0 million. Operating income was $41.7 million, compared with $49.6 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025. Operating margin was 6.5% of revenues, compared with 8.1% a year earlier. Net income was $34.7 million, compared with $41.0 million, and diluted earnings per share were $1.90, compared with $2.23.

Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, was $94.9 million, compared with $88.1 million.

For fiscal 2026, consolidated revenues increased 3.7% to $2.523 billion. Operating income was $136.0 million, compared with $184.5 million in fiscal 2025. Net income was $109.5 million, compared with $148.3 million, and diluted earnings per share were $6.02, compared with $7.98. Adjusted EBITDA was $327.1 million, compared with $336.8 million.

The company said fiscal 2026 results included approximately $37.2 million of transaction-related costs and approximately $13.3 million of costs tied to its enterprise resource planning project. It stated that these items decreased full year diluted earnings per share by $2.08.

Segment Results

Uniform & Facility Service Solutions revenues increased 4.5% to $585.4 million, compared with $560.1 million. Organic growth, which excludes acquisitions and Canadian dollar fluctuations, was 4.6%. Operating margin was 6.8%, compared with 8.3%, and Adjusted EBITDA margin was 15.5%, compared with 14.8%.

First Aid & Safety Solutions revenues increased 13.0% to $35.2 million. The segment reported an operating loss of $1.5 million and an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.1 million, which the company linked to investments in its First Aid van business.

The Other segment, which consists of nuclear solutions, reported revenues of $24.5 million, up 5.3%. Operating income was $3.3 million and Adjusted EBITDA was $4.2 million.

Balance Sheet, Capital and Merger Status

As of August 29, 2026, cash and cash equivalents totaled $192.1 million, and the company had no long-term debt outstanding. It paid dividends of $25.2 million in fiscal 2026, an increase of 2.1% from the prior year. During fiscal 2026 it repurchased 194,100 shares of common stock for approximately $31.7 million, with $8.9 million remaining under its repurchase authorization.

On July 2, 2026, UniFirst and Cintas each received a Supplementary Information Request from the Canadian Competition Bureau. Both certified completion of their responses on September 29, 2026. On October 2, 2026, both certified to the Federal Trade Commission regarding its Second Request. They also agreed not to consummate the transaction before December 11, 2026 unless they receive written notice that the FTC has closed its investigation.

Outlook

UniFirst said the transaction is expected to close before the end of calendar year 2026, subject to customary closing conditions and required regulatory approvals. Due to the pending transaction, the company is no longer providing financial guidance or hosting quarterly conference calls. The company said the transaction may not close when expected or at all.