Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the sixteen brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $21.5833.

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on ACI shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 2nd. Evercore dropped their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group dropped their target price on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th.

Insider Transactions at Albertsons Companies

In other news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total value of $863,870.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. 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 worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 730 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 130.4% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,461 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 827 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 185.1% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 1,057 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 98.4% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 844 shares during the period. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 91.2% in the fourth quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of ACI stock opened at $17.81 on Friday. Albertsons Companies has a 52 week low of $15.80 and a 52 week high of $23.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.15 billion, a PE ratio of 11.49, a PEG ratio of 0.53 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 $17.44 and its 200-day moving average is $17.98.

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 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. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. 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.