Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Reaches New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $15.35 and last traded at $15.3310, with a volume of 1556129 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $15.66.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently weighed in on ACI. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings cut Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $26.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $21.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $21.31.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $16.56 and a 200-day moving average of $17.13. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $7.64 billion, a PE ratio of 48.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.40.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $20.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.49 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.46 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies, Inc. 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th were given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This is a boost 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.4%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 212.50%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $388,089,000. Towle & Co. grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 674.2% during the 3rd quarter. Towle & Co. now owns 339,227 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,940,000 after purchasing an additional 295,413 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 14.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company’s stock valued at $675,305,000 after buying an additional 5,110,777 shares during the last quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,307,000. Finally, Private Management Group Inc. lifted its position in Albertsons Companies by 8.4% during the 3rd quarter. Private Management Group Inc. now owns 2,360,714 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,336,000 after acquiring an additional 182,638 shares during the period. 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.