Brokerages Set Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Target Price at $15.31

Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) have been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have issued a hold recommendation and five have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $15.3077.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Zacks Research cut Albertsons Companies from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $18.00 to $11.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Susan Morris purchased 39,409 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $11.42 per share, with a total value of $450,050.78. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 1,092,956 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,481,557.52. This trade represents a 3.74% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Sharon Mccollam purchased 9,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $11.48 per share, for a total transaction of $103,320.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 567,051 shares in the company, valued at $6,509,745.48. The trade was a 1.61% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have bought 218,909 shares of company stock valued at $2,515,826. 1.18% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Twin Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.7% in the first quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 43,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $748,000 after acquiring an additional 721 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 723 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 730 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 11.8% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 7,326 shares of the company’s stock worth $126,000 after acquiring an additional 774 shares during the period. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% during the 4th 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. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Albertsons Companies stock opened at $12.23 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $13.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $15.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22. The company has a market cap of $5.94 billion, a PE ratio of 152.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 0.42. Albertsons Companies has a twelve month low of $10.86 and a twelve month high of $20.00.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced 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). The business had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.84 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 45.59%. The firm’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.55 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 1.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.6%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 850.00%.

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.