LSV Asset Management Acquires 368,100 Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

LSV Asset Management raised its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 10,946,507 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 368,100 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management’s holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $191,673,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in ACI. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the second quarter worth approximately $320,613,000. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $81,463,000. Sound Shore Management Inc CT bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $65,530,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 345.7% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,784,990 shares of the company’s stock worth $59,905,000 after purchasing an additional 2,160,192 shares during the period. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 17.7% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 9,388,320 shares of the company’s stock valued at $164,389,000 after purchasing an additional 1,410,778 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ACI opened at $17.73 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.44, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 0.48. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $17.26 and its 200-day moving average price is $18.07. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $15.80 and a 1-year high of $23.20.

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

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is currently 38.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In related news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total value of $863,870.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 289,429 shares in the company, valued at $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 at this link. 1.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on ACI shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. They set a “hold” rating for the company. Tigress Financial increased their price target on Albertsons Companies from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $14.00 target price (down previously 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 assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.58.

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.