Albertsons Companies Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:ACI)

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Investors bought 8,274 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 31% compared to the average volume of 6,297 call options.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Shares of ACI opened at $19.96 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.57 billion, a PE ratio of 11.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.47. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $21.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $19.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.31, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.21. Albertsons Companies has a 12-month low of $17.00 and a 12-month high of $23.20.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 15th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.06. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.30% and a return on equity of 44.70%. The company had revenue of $18.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.78 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.54 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.01%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.71%.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ACI. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 108.4% in the fourth quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 1,346 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the period. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV now owns 47,232 shares of the company’s stock worth $941,000 after acquiring an additional 891 shares during the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 225.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,385 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 959 shares during the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 54.8% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,997 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after acquiring an additional 1,061 shares during the period. Finally, Twin Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Albertsons Companies by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 40,476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $795,000 after purchasing an additional 1,146 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ACI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Friday, January 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $26.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $26.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $23.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $26.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Friday, April 11th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $23.50.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

Albertsons Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of food and drug stores in the United States. The company’s food and drug retail stores offer grocery products, general merchandise, health and beauty care products, pharmacy, fuel, and other items and services. It also manufactures and processes food products for sale in stores.