Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Purchases 2,239,291 Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 37.1% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,269,879 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,239,291 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 1.51% of Albertsons Companies worth $144,803,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cresset Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 1,696.3% in the third quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 186,974 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,274,000 after acquiring an additional 176,565 shares during the period. South Dakota Investment Council bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the third quarter worth about $1,658,000. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 5.2% during the third quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 128,300 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,247,000 after purchasing an additional 6,387 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 14.3% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 324,691 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,685,000 after purchasing an additional 40,636 shares during the period. Finally, Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 14.5% in the 3rd quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 83,373 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,460,000 after buying an additional 10,577 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 289,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,102,633.27. This represents a 14.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale 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.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of ACI stock opened at $16.77 on Wednesday. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $15.80 and a 52 week high of $23.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.62 billion, a PE ratio of 10.82, a PEG ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.91. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $17.46 and its 200-day moving average is $17.85.

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

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 23rd were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is currently 38.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on ACI shares. 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 note on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price 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. Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and set a $14.00 price target (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $21.58.

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.