Squarepoint Ops LLC Raises Position in Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Squarepoint Ops LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 53.4% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,209,622 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 769,503 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned approximately 0.46% of Albertsons Companies worth $29,896,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $388,089,000. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 101.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,687,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $200,678,000 after buying an additional 5,873,759 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 62.4% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,429,784 shares of the company’s stock worth $230,595,000 after buying an additional 5,159,905 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in Albertsons Companies by 1,007.6% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 4,685,128 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,390,000 after buying an additional 4,262,129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in Albertsons Companies by 113.0% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,749,331 shares of the company’s stock worth $81,546,000 after buying an additional 2,519,432 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In related news, CFO Sharon Mccollam acquired 9,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 31st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $11.48 per share, with a total value of $103,320.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 567,051 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,509,745.48. This trade represents a 1.61% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Thomas Moriarty bought 170,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $11.51 per share, with a total value of $1,962,455.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 308,946 shares in the company, valued at $3,555,968.46. This represents a 123.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders purchased a total of 218,909 shares of company stock worth $2,515,826 over the last three months. Insiders own 1.18% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ACI has been the subject of a number of research reports. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and set a $11.00 target price (down from $17.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target 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. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $18.00 to $11.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $23.00 to $12.00 in a report on Friday, July 24th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.31.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 3.3%

ACI stock opened at $12.13 on Wednesday. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $10.86 and a 12-month high of $20.00. The business’s 50-day moving average is $12.87 and its 200 day moving average is $15.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22. The stock has a market cap of $5.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 151.69, a PEG ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.37.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its 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). Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 45.59%. The business had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.55 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 1.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.6%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.