Factorial Partners LLC Has $2.12 Million Position in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI)

Factorial Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 839.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 108,000 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 96,500 shares during the period. Factorial Partners LLC’s holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $2,121,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 108.4% during the 4th quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 1,346 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares in the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 225.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,385 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 959 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Albertsons Companies in the fourth quarter valued at about $179,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $185,000. Finally, DGS Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 3rd quarter worth about $199,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE ACI opened at $21.05 on Friday. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $17.00 and a 12 month high of $21.67. The company has a market cap of $12.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.51. The business’s 50 day moving average is $20.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.31.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 8th. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.07. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.30% and a return on equity of 44.70%. The business had revenue of $18.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.79 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies’s revenue was up 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 24th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 24th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.85%. This is a positive change from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.12. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Bank of America assumed coverage on Albertsons Companies in a research note on Friday, December 13th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $22.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $26.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Friday, January 24th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $26.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $26.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $23.21.

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of food and drug stores in the United States. The company’s food and drug retail stores offer grocery products, general merchandise, health and beauty care products, pharmacy, fuel, and other items and services. It also manufactures and processes food products for sale in stores.