Insider Buying: Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) CFO Acquires 9,000 Shares of Stock

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) CFO Sharon Mccollam purchased 9,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $11.48 per share, for a total transaction of $103,320.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 567,051 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,509,745.48. This trade represents a 1.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ACI traded down $0.10 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $11.48. 14,017,284 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,799,909. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $10.86 and a 12 month high of $20.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 143.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.42. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $14.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.17.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $24.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.84 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 45.59% and a net margin of 0.08%.The business’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.55 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is 850.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $11.00 price objective (down from $17.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, July 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 24th. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $12.00 target price (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $18.00 to $11.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $15.31.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ACI. CWM LLC grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 730 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. lifted its position in Albertsons Companies by 91.2% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 885 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Albertsons Companies by 172.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,306 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 2,406.4% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 5,113 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 4,909 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 44.2% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,412 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 1,353 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.