Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Albertsons Companies Call Options (NYSE:ACI)

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) saw unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Investors acquired 3,240 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 78% compared to the average daily volume of 1,819 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on ACI shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating for the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays decreased their price target on Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $21.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $21.58.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 2.9%

Shares of ACI opened at $16.36 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $17.54 and its 200-day moving average price is $17.59. Albertsons Companies has a twelve month low of $15.80 and a twelve month high of $22.78. The stock has a market cap of $8.41 billion, a PE ratio of 10.55, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.45. 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 (NYSE:ACI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 38.00% and a net margin of 1.06%.The firm had revenue of $20.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.49 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.46 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This is a boost from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.71%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 14.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company’s stock worth $675,305,000 after purchasing an additional 5,110,777 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the fourth quarter worth about $388,089,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 62.4% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,429,784 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,595,000 after purchasing an additional 5,159,905 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 101.0% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,687,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $200,678,000 after purchasing an additional 5,873,759 shares in the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management grew its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 11,130,407 shares of the company’s stock worth $191,109,000 after purchasing an additional 183,900 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

More Albertsons Companies News

Here are the key news stories impacting Albertsons Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 adjusted EPS beat consensus ($0.48 vs. $0.43) and revenue rose 7.7% year/year — shows underlying retail strength. MarketBeat Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Company raised FY‑2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.22–$2.32, above consensus (~$2.13), which supports forward earnings expectations. Seeking Alpha Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Board raised the quarterly dividend 13% to $0.17 and reset a $2 billion share repurchase program — shareholder-friendly capital return that can support valuation. BusinessWire Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity: call buying spiked (3,240 calls) — could indicate speculative bullish interest or hedging but not a directional confirmation. (internal report)
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and Q&A available in the Q4 earnings call transcript for further color on margins, competition and capital allocation. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons disclosed a proposed national opioid settlement framework (~$774 million) that produced a large charge and pushed the quarter to a GAAP loss — a material one‑time liability that dents reported earnings and investor sentiment. BusinessWire Opioid Settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Management flagged FY sales guidance below some Street estimates and noted competitive pressure from rivals’ heavier discounts — raises concern about top‑line momentum and margin pressure. Reuters Sales Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: While adjusted metrics beat, several outlets flagged that revenue missed expectations and the opioid charge widened the GAAP loss — these headlines likely pressured the stock despite the dividend and buyback news. MSN Revenue Miss Seeking Alpha GAAP Loss

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.