Albertsons Companies’ (ACI) “Outperform” Rating Reiterated at Telsey Advisory Group

Telsey Advisory Group reiterated their outperform rating on shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $24.00 price target on the stock.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on ACI. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. UBS Group cut their price target on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $23.69.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

ACI opened at $17.30 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $17.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $18.90. Albertsons Companies has a 1 year low of $16.55 and a 1 year high of $23.20. The company has a market capitalization of $9.50 billion, a PE ratio of 10.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.48.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 14th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.04. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 36.39% and a net margin of 1.20%.The company had revenue of $18.92 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.89 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.51 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.060-2.190 EPS. Research analysts expect that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 7th. Investors of record on Friday, October 24th were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 24th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.5%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.50%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.25, for a total transaction of $4,427,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 300,577 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,786,107.25. This represents a 43.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.35, for a total value of $1,935,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 338,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,548,601.15. This trade represents a 22.81% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vident Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the first quarter valued at $252,000. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 5.0% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,765,345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,810,000 after buying an additional 130,526 shares during the period. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 13.1% during the first quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec now owns 197,577 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,345,000 after acquiring an additional 22,861 shares during the last quarter. Amundi lifted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 118.8% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 3,227,851 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,164,000 after acquiring an additional 1,752,393 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1,601.1% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 4,729,259 shares of the company’s stock worth $103,807,000 after acquiring an additional 4,451,250 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

Albertsons Companies, Inc (NYSE: ACI) is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, operating a diversified portfolio of grocery store banners. Founded in 1939 by Joe Albertson in Boise, Idaho, the company has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. Its core business activities encompass the sale of fresh produce, meat, bakery items, deli offerings, pharmacy services, and general merchandise. The company’s retail operations are complemented by an in-house private-label program, featuring brands such as O Organics, Open Nature, and Lucerne, which cater to a range of customer preferences and price points.

Throughout its history, Albertsons Companies has pursued growth via mergers and partnerships.