Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Receives Average Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the seventeen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $21.3077.

Several brokerages have issued reports on ACI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $21.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, April 6th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $26.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ACI opened at $15.86 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $16.61 and a 200 day moving average of $17.17. The stock has a market cap of $7.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.40. Albertsons Companies has a 12 month low of $15.36 and a 12 month high of $22.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. The company had revenue of $20.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.49 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.46 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th were given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 24th. This is a boost from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.3%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 212.50%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ACI. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,492,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter worth approximately $388,089,000. Towle & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 674.2% in the 3rd quarter. Towle & Co. now owns 339,227 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,940,000 after acquiring an additional 295,413 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company’s stock worth $675,305,000 after acquiring an additional 5,110,777 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC bought a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,307,000. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by 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.