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

Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the sixteen research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have given a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $21.5833.

ACI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and set a $14.00 price objective (down previously from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th.

Insider Transactions at Albertsons Companies

In other news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of Albertsons Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total value of $863,870.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 289,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,102,633.27. This trade represents a 14.48% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tredje AP fonden boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 71.7% during the 2nd quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 46,647 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,003,000 after purchasing an additional 19,477 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the third quarter valued at $1,492,000. Inspire Advisors LLC bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the second quarter valued at about $379,000. Islay Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the second quarter valued at about $987,000. Finally, Swiss National Bank grew its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 7.1% during the second quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 1,133,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,390,000 after acquiring an additional 75,400 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies Stock Down 1.0%

NYSE ACI opened at $17.93 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36. Albertsons Companies has a fifty-two week low of $15.80 and a fifty-two week high of $23.20. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $17.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $18.03. The stock has a market cap of $9.21 billion, a PE ratio of 11.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.48.

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

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, January 23rd were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 23rd. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is currently 38.71%.

About Albertsons Companies

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.