Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Short Interest Down 17.1% in December

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 40,723,086 shares, a decline of 17.1% from the November 30th total of 49,111,896 shares. Currently, 7.5% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 8,538,068 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.8 days. Based on an average daily volume of 8,538,068 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 4.8 days. Currently, 7.5% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE ACI traded down $0.06 on Wednesday, reaching $17.19. 7,116,769 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,729,585. Albertsons Companies has a fifty-two week low of $16.55 and a fifty-two week high of $23.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 0.49. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $17.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $18.95. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 14th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.04. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.20% and a return on equity of 36.39%. The firm had revenue of $18.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.89 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.51 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.060-2.190 EPS. Analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 24th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, October 24th. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is presently 35.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on ACI. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Jefferies Financial Group restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Monday. UBS Group dropped their target price on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $23.69.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Albertsons Companies news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.35, for a total transaction of $1,935,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 338,429 shares in the company, valued at $6,548,601.15. This represents a 22.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.25, for a total transaction of $4,427,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 300,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,786,107.25. This represents a 43.35% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL grew its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 416.9% during the 3rd quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 338,078 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,920,000 after purchasing an additional 272,678 shares during the period. MRP Capital Investments LLC acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies in the third quarter valued at about $870,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 64.5% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,799 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 1,097 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 182.9% during the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 21,121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $370,000 after acquiring an additional 13,654 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $230,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

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.