Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock Price Down 5.1% – What’s Next?

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) shares fell 5.1% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $15.93 and last traded at $16.1750. 885,401 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 87% from the average session volume of 7,076,117 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.05.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on ACI. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of 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 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, April 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.31.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 0.6%

The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58. The business’s fifty day moving average is $16.87 and its 200 day moving average is $17.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.43.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. The business had revenue of $20.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.49 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.46 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly 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. Equities analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 24th. This is a positive change from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 212.50%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 730 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 185.1% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% during the fourth quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 885 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 172.8% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,306 shares during the period. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 32.9% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,524 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 625 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.