CWA Asset Management Group LLC Invests $3.31 Million in Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

CWA Asset Management Group LLC bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 189,264 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,314,000.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 130.4% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,461 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 827 shares during the period. West Oak Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 98.4% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 844 shares in the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Finally, Plato Investment Management Ltd purchased a new position in Albertsons Companies in the first quarter worth approximately $53,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the insider owned 300,577 shares in the company, valued at $5,786,107.25. The trade was a 43.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 338,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,548,601.15. The trade was a 22.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 0.3%

ACI opened at $17.26 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $16.55 and a 52 week high of $23.20. The business’s 50 day moving average is $17.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $18.84. The firm has a market cap of $9.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.48.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 14th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $18.92 billion during 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 company’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.51 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.060-2.190 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 24th were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 24th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.5%. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is currently 35.50%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on ACI shares. Evercore ISI dropped their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $24.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Wednesday, December 31st. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Albertsons Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, November 2nd. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $23.69.

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.