Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund Buys 83,595 Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 37.2% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 308,530 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 83,595 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund’s holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $5,402,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Tredje AP fonden boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 71.7% in the second quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 46,647 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,003,000 after acquiring an additional 19,477 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the third quarter worth approximately $1,492,000. Inspire Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 2nd quarter worth $379,000. Islay Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 2nd quarter worth $987,000. Finally, Swiss National Bank increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 1,133,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,390,000 after purchasing an additional 75,400 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Albertsons Companies stock opened at $18.55 on Friday. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $15.80 and a 52 week high of $23.20. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $17.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $18.06. The stock has a market cap of $9.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.97, a P/E/G ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $19.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.18 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 38.00% and a net margin of 1.06%.Albertsons Companies’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.71 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 23rd. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is presently 38.71%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on ACI shares. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and issued a $14.00 price objective (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Tigress Financial raised their target price on Albertsons Companies from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.58.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In related news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total transaction of $863,870.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 289,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,102,633.27. This represents a 14.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 1.35% 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.