Analysts Set Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Price Target at $21.58

Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation and ten have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $21.3077.

Several research analysts have issued reports on ACI shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $26.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target 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. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 2.0%

Albertsons Companies stock opened at $16.69 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.86. The firm has a market cap of $8.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.45. Albertsons Companies has a 1 year low of $15.80 and a 1 year high of $22.78. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $17.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.57.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $20.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.46 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. This is a positive change from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 187.50%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 79,188 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,387,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. now owns 63,122 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,105,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 32.9% during the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,524 shares of the company’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 625 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $302,000 after purchasing an additional 723 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 730 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently 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.