Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI Shares Acquired by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 11.8% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 15,013,525 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 1,583,741 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $255,855,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of ACI. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company’s stock worth $675,305,000 after buying an additional 5,110,777 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $388,089,000. Morgan Stanley grew its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 101.0% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,687,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $200,678,000 after purchasing an additional 5,873,759 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 11,130,407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $191,109,000 after buying an additional 183,900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 12.9% during the fourth quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 10,597,903 shares of the company’s stock valued at $181,966,000 after acquiring an additional 1,209,583 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ACI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $18.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 29th. Citigroup decreased their price target on Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $21.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, April 6th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $20.25.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Shares of ACI opened at $14.64 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $15.04 and its 200-day moving average is $16.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.20. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $13.16 and a 12-month high of $20.91.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 212.50%.

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.