Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) CFO Buys 9,000 Shares

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) CFO Sharon Mccollam acquired 9,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $11.48 per share, for a total transaction of $103,320.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 567,051 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,509,745.48. The trade was a 1.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Albertsons Companies stock traded down $0.10 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $11.48. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 14,017,284 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,799,909. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22. The stock has a market cap of $5.57 billion, a PE ratio of 143.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.42. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $10.86 and a 52 week high of $20.02. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $14.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.17.

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

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ACI shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $18.00 to $11.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $11.00 target price (down from $17.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $15.31.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ACI. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 109.5% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,542,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,919,000 after purchasing an additional 806,336 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the first quarter valued at $1,090,000. M&T Bank Corp increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 21.4% in the second quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 14,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $308,000 after buying an additional 2,528 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 39.3% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 504,944 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,861,000 after buying an additional 142,457 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 5.4% in the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $302,000 after buying an additional 723 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

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.