Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Given Consensus Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Albertsons Companies has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" from 16 covering firms, with nine buy ratings, four hold ratings, and three sell ratings. The average 12-month price target is $20.25.
• Several analysts have cut their price targets recently, including JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, UBS, and Citigroup, while Weiss Ratings downgraded the stock to sell.
• Albertsons shares were trading at $15.15, near their 52-week low of $13.16, and the company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.17 per share, yielding about 4.5%.

Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of "Hold" from the sixteen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $20.25.

Several analysts recently issued reports on ACI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $18.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 29th. UBS Group cut 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. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Albertsons Companies from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $388,089,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 14.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company's stock worth $675,305,000 after purchasing an additional 5,110,777 shares during the period. Strategic Global Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $2,858,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 416.9% during the third quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 338,078 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,920,000 after buying an additional 272,678 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the fourth quarter valued at about $23,178,000. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company's stock.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 0.2%

Shares of ACI stock opened at $15.15 on Monday. Albertsons Companies has a 12 month low of $13.16 and a 12 month high of $20.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58. The business's 50 day moving average is $15.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.49. The company has a market cap of $7.42 billion, a PE ratio of 47.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.42.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Albertsons Companies's payout ratio is currently 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.

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