Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Hits New 52-Week Low Following Analyst Downgrade

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday after Citigroup lowered their price target on the stock from $22.00 to $17.00. Citigroup currently has a buy rating on the stock. Albertsons Companies traded as low as $13.22 and last traded at $13.3370, with a volume of 495944 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $13.47.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on ACI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced 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 note on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $18.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $21.00 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target 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, April 15th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $20.69.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. CWM LLC increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 730 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 185.1% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% during the fourth 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 last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 172.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,306 shares during the period. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $6.50 billion, a PE ratio of 41.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.40. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $15.73 and its 200 day moving average is $16.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.86.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $20.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.49 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. Albertsons Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.46 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.11 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This is a boost from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 212.50%.

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.