Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Sees Large Decline in Short Interest

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 40,723,086 shares, a decline of 17.1% from the November 30th total of 49,111,896 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 8,538,068 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.8 days. Approximately 7.5% of the company’s shares are short sold. Approximately 7.5% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 8,538,068 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.8 days.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

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

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Tredje AP fonden grew its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 71.7% during the second quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 46,647 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,003,000 after purchasing an additional 19,477 shares during the period. Inspire Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $379,000. Islay Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $987,000. Swiss National Bank lifted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 1,133,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,390,000 after purchasing an additional 75,400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 7,901,015 shares of the company’s stock valued at $169,510,000 after purchasing an additional 124,824 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Albertsons Companies News

Here are the key news stories impacting Albertsons Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Telsey Advisory reaffirmed an “outperform” rating with a $24 price target, highlighting analyst conviction and a sizable implied upside from current levels. Benzinga Telsey Note
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerages as aggregated by AmericanBankingNews show an average rating of “Moderate Buy,” supporting demand expectations into earnings. Average Rating Article
• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish commentaries argue Albertsons is undervalued (citing share buybacks, pharmacy/digital revenue growth) — a narrative that can support longer-term upside even if near-term margins are pressured. Seeking Alpha Bull Case
• Neutral Sentiment: Q3 earnings are imminent (reporting before the open on Jan. 7); multiple analysts have revised forecasts ahead of the call, making the print the main near-term catalyst. Expect volatility around guidance and margin commentary. Benzinga Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published projections and metric-level estimates for the quarter — useful for gauging whether revenue mix (pharmacy, digital) or margin compression will surprise. Zacks Q3 Projections
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces (Globe and Mail) reiterate analyst views across the sector, offering context but no new company-specific catalyst. Globe and Mail Analysts Note
• Negative Sentiment: Sector rotation into peers (notably Kroger) and renewed focus on buybacks at competitors may divert investor dollars; MarketBeat highlights Kroger’s buyback & sector tailwinds but also notes ongoing litigation between Albertsons and Kroger (Albertsons has sought damages), which is a headline/legal overhang. MarketBeat Kroger Catalyst

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ACI has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $24.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price 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. Finally, Tigress Financial upped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 20th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $23.69.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE ACI opened at $17.19 on Friday. Albertsons Companies has a twelve month low of $16.55 and a twelve month high of $23.20. The stock has a market cap of $9.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.17, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25. The company’s fifty day moving average is $17.68 and its 200-day moving average is $18.93.

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

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

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

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.