Barclays PLC Raises Position in Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 108.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,190,463 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 620,061 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned 0.22% of Albertsons Companies worth $20,845,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 827 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 844 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 32.9% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,524 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 625 shares in the last quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 61.7% in the third quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 2,808 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 1,071 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of NYSE:ACI opened at $16.46 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.46 billion, a PE ratio of 10.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.48. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $17.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.84. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $15.80 and a 1 year high of $23.20.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.06% and a return on equity of 38.00%. The business had revenue of $19.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.18 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.71 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue 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. Analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total value 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 $5,102,633.27. The trade was a 14.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on ACI. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Telsey Advisory Group reduced 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. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an “underweight” rating and issued a $14.00 price target (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Nine 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, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average 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.