Leading Wall Street Analysts Adjust Aramark Projections Before Q4 Earnings Release
Earnings Release: Aramark is set to announce its fourth-quarter earnings on November 17, with analysts predicting earnings of 65 cents per share and revenue of $5.16 billion, an increase from the previous year's $4.42 billion.
Stock Performance: Shares of Aramark fell by 1.3% to close at $38.03 following weaker-than-expected sales reported in the third quarter.
Analyst Ratings: Recent analyst ratings include a Buy rating from UBS with a price target of $45, an upgrade to Outperform from Baird with a target of $47, and a maintained Equal-Weight rating from Morgan Stanley with a target of $44.
Investment Insights: Citigroup reinstated a Buy rating for Aramark with a price target of $48, reflecting a generally positive outlook from analysts despite recent sales challenges.
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- Strong Earnings Report: Aramark reported first-quarter adjusted earnings per share of 51 cents, surpassing the analyst consensus of 50 cents, with quarterly sales reaching $4.832 billion, reflecting a 6% year-over-year growth and indicating robust financial performance.
- New Business Momentum: The company highlighted strong momentum in new business wins alongside record client retention, with net new business tracking ahead of expectations, positioning Aramark favorably to meet its full-year growth targets.
- Robust Cash Availability: At the end of the quarter, Aramark had approximately $1.4 billion in cash availability, ensuring flexibility for future investments and operations, which further boosts market confidence in the company's stability.
- Stable Dividend Policy: The company approved a quarterly dividend of 12 cents per share of common stock, payable on March 4, 2026, demonstrating a commitment to returning value to shareholders amidst strong operational performance.
- Earnings Highlights: Aramark reported a Q1 non-GAAP EPS of $0.51, aligning with expectations, while revenue reached $4.83 billion, reflecting a 6.2% year-over-year increase and exceeding market expectations by $70 million, indicating stable growth in the food service sector.
- Fiscal 2026 Outlook: The company anticipates fiscal 2026 revenue between $19.55 billion and $19.95 billion, representing a year-over-year organic growth of 7% to 9%, showcasing Aramark's confidence in future market demand, particularly in the post-pandemic recovery phase.
- Adjusted Operating Income: Expected adjusted operating income is projected to be between $1.1 billion and $1.15 billion, reflecting a year-over-year growth of 12% to 17%, which will further enhance the company's profitability and competitive position in the market.
- Leverage Ratio Target: Aramark aims for a leverage ratio of under 3x, demonstrating a cautious approach to financial management, with the goal of enhancing financial flexibility and long-term sustainability by reducing debt levels.
- Significant Revenue Growth: Aramark reported $4.8 billion in revenue for Q1 2026, marking a 6% year-over-year increase, with organic revenue growth of 5% excluding currency effects, highlighting strong performance in new business development and client retention.
- Stable Operating Income: The operating income for the quarter was $218 million, slightly up from the previous year, although impacted by a $25 million reduction due to calendar shifts, indicating effective cost management and technology application.
- Cash Flow and Capital Structure: The company recorded expected cash outflows in Q1 due to seasonal business cadence and increased capital expenditures associated with new business, while repurchasing $30 million in stock, demonstrating a continued commitment to shareholder returns.
- Dividend Declaration and Future Outlook: The Board approved a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share and anticipates organic revenue growth of 7% to 9% for fiscal 2026, reflecting confidence in future growth and strategic planning.

- Revenue Growth: Aramark's Q1 revenue reached $4.83 billion, reflecting a 6% year-over-year increase, with organic revenue up 5%; without calendar adjustments, organic growth would have been approximately 8%, indicating strong momentum from base business expansion and new business wins.
- Operating Income Performance: Operating income slightly increased to $218 million, while Adjusted Operating Income (AOI) rose 1% to $263 million; AOI growth would have been around 11% without the calendar shift, showcasing improvements in technology capabilities and supply chain efficiencies.
- Capital Allocation Strategy: The company repurchased an additional $30 million in stock as part of its share repurchase program and successfully repriced $2.4 billion of 2030 Term Loans by 25 basis points, expected to generate interest expense savings and enhance financial flexibility.
- Future Outlook: Aramark maintains an optimistic outlook for fiscal 2026, projecting revenue growth between 7% and 9% and Adjusted EPS growth of 20% to 25%, demonstrating the company's strong competitive position and ongoing growth potential in the market.
- Earnings Announcement: Aramark (ARMK) is set to release its Q1 2023 earnings on February 10th before market open, with consensus EPS estimated at $0.51, flat year-over-year, and revenue expected at $4.76 billion, reflecting a 4.6% increase, indicating potential for stable growth.
- Performance Analysis: Over the past two years, Aramark has beaten EPS estimates 88% of the time, while only achieving a 25% success rate for revenue estimates, highlighting volatility in profitability that may affect investor confidence.
- Revision Trends: In the last three months, there have been no upward revisions for EPS estimates, with 9 downward adjustments, and similarly, revenue estimates have seen no upward revisions and 7 downward adjustments, suggesting a cautious market outlook for Aramark's near-term growth.
- Growth Targets: Despite uncertainties, Aramark has set an organic revenue growth target of 7%-9% for fiscal 2026, supported by record new contract wins and strong retention rates, demonstrating confidence in its long-term development prospects.
- Quarterly Dividend Declaration: Aramark has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.12 per share, consistent with previous distributions, indicating the company's ongoing ability to maintain stable cash flow despite facing an uncertain growth outlook.
- Dividend Yield: The forward yield of 1.26% provides investors with a relatively stable return, reflecting the company's financial health in the current economic environment and potentially attracting income-focused investors.
- Shareholder Record Dates: The dividend will be payable on March 4, with a record date of February 18 and an ex-dividend date also set for February 18, ensuring shareholders receive their dividends promptly and bolstering investor confidence.
- Uncertain Growth Outlook: While Aramark has outlined a target of 7%-9% organic revenue growth for fiscal 2026, the recent order from U.K. regulators to unwind its Entier acquisition may impact its future growth strategy and operational stability.





