Investors Purchase Large Volume of Albertsons Companies Put Options (NYSE:ACI)

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors acquired 4,586 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 161% compared to the typical volume of 1,760 put options.

Albertsons Companies Stock Down 4.3%

NYSE ACI traded down $0.62 during trading on Thursday, reaching $13.79. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 4,260,329 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,158,315. Albertsons Companies has a 1-year low of $13.52 and a 1-year high of $22.78. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $16.28 and a 200-day moving average price of $17.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.82 billion, a PE ratio of 43.35, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 42.75% and a net margin of 0.26%.The company had revenue of $20.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.49 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.46 EPS. Albertsons Companies’s revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th were given a $0.17 dividend. This is a positive change from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.9%. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is presently 212.50%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ACI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Citigroup reduced their price target on Albertsons Companies from $26.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $21.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $21.31.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 121.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 42,274 shares of the company’s stock worth $720,000 after acquiring an additional 23,227 shares during the period. Carlson Capital L.P. increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 138.4% in the 1st quarter. Carlson Capital L.P. now owns 119,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,031,000 after purchasing an additional 69,200 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 43.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,899,233 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,363,000 after purchasing an additional 578,401 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 170.9% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,585 shares of the company’s stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 3,523 shares during the last quarter. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its position in Albertsons Companies by 21.2% in the 1st quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 422,999 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,208,000 after buying an additional 73,870 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

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.