Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Given Outperform Rating at Royal Bank Of Canada

Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed their outperform rating on shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) in a research note released on Monday,Benzinga reports. Royal Bank Of Canada currently has a $21.00 price target on the stock.

ACI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Evercore cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.58.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:ACI opened at $17.99 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36. The company has a market cap of $9.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 0.45. Albertsons Companies has a fifty-two week low of $15.80 and a fifty-two week high of $22.78. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $17.48 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.61.

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

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total transaction of $863,870.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 289,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,102,633.27. This trade represents a 14.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. CWM LLC grew its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 730 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 130.4% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,461 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 827 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 185.1% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 1,057 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 885 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,306 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.