BNP Paribas Financial Markets Raises Stock Holdings in Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 18.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 384,761 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 60,934 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets’ holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $6,606,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. raised its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 79,188 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,387,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the period. Okabena Investment Services Inc. raised its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. now owns 63,122 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,105,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 5.4% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $302,000 after purchasing an additional 723 shares during the period. CWM LLC increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 730 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 11.8% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 7,326 shares of the company’s stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 774 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies Stock Down 2.9%

Shares of NYSE:ACI opened at $15.68 on Wednesday. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $15.36 and a fifty-two week high of $22.78. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $16.56 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58. The stock has a market cap of $7.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.40.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. The company had revenue of $20.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.49 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.46 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were paid a $0.17 dividend. This is an increase from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 24th. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is presently 212.50%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ACI has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $21.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $26.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.31.

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.