Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) have been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the sixteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation and nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $21.5833.

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on ACI. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Barclays cut their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, November 2nd.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 0.7%

Albertsons Companies stock opened at $18.64 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $9.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 0.48. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $17.44 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $17.98. Albertsons Companies has a 12 month low of $15.80 and a 12 month high of $23.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.06% and a return on equity of 38.00%. The business had revenue of $19.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.18 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.71 EPS. Albertsons Companies’s revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 23rd. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In related news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total value of $863,870.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 289,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,102,633.27. The trade was a 14.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $388,089,000. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 101.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,687,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $200,678,000 after purchasing an additional 5,873,759 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 62.4% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,429,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,595,000 after buying an additional 5,159,905 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 14.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company’s stock valued at $675,305,000 after purchasing an additional 5,110,777 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Shore Management Inc CT purchased a new position in Albertsons Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $65,530,000. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.