Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) CEO Purchases $450,050.78 in Stock

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) CEO Susan Morris acquired 39,409 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $11.42 per share, with a total value of $450,050.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,092,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,481,557.52. This trade represents a 3.74% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ACI opened at $11.56 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.61 billion, a PE ratio of 144.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $10.86 and a twelve month high of $20.02. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $14.32 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.18.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by ($0.12). Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 45.59%. The firm had revenue of $24.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.84 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.55 EPS. The business’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 1.64 EPS for the current year.

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 given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 850.00%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on ACI shares. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $18.00 to $11.00 in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $12.00 price target (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $17.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $23.00 to $12.00 in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.31.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies during the fourth quarter worth $388,089,000. Morgan Stanley increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 101.0% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,687,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $200,678,000 after acquiring an additional 5,873,759 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 62.4% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,429,784 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,595,000 after acquiring an additional 5,159,905 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 5,110,777 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Albertsons Companies by 113.0% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,749,331 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,546,000 after acquiring an additional 2,519,432 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.