Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Shares Gap Down - What's Next?

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) shares gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $21.57, but opened at $20.60. Albertsons Companies shares last traded at $20.11, with a volume of 2,436,726 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ACI. Citigroup started coverage on Albertsons Companies in a report on Friday, January 24th. They set a "buy" rating and a $26.00 price objective on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $26.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $23.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $26.00 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $23.36.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.31, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The company has a market cap of $12.55 billion, a PE ratio of 12.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $21.19 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $19.98.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 15th. The company reported $0.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $18.80 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $18.78 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 44.70% and a net margin of 1.30%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.54 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 25th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 25th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.77%. Albertsons Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 36.59%.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of ACI. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 108.4% in the fourth quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 1,346 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 225.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,385 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 959 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 316.6% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,787 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 1,358 shares in the last quarter. WealthCollab LLC increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 446.0% in the fourth quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 1,780 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 1,454 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 340.1% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,919 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 1,483 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of food and drug stores in the United States. The company's food and drug retail stores offer grocery products, general merchandise, health and beauty care products, pharmacy, fuel, and other items and services. It also manufactures and processes food products for sale in stores.