Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Upgraded at BMO Capital Markets

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at BMO Capital Markets from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $25.00 price objective on the stock, up from their prior price objective of $19.00. BMO Capital Markets' price objective would suggest a potential upside of 14.00% from the company's previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Friday, January 24th. They set a "buy" rating and a $26.00 price objective on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and set a $26.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Friday, April 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a $26.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $23.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $24.36.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:ACI opened at $21.93 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.31, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.93. The firm has a market cap of $12.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.47. Albertsons Companies has a fifty-two week low of $17.00 and a fifty-two week high of $23.20.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 15th. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.06. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.30% and a return on equity of 44.70%. The firm had revenue of $18.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.78 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.54 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 0.7% during the first quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 78,062 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,717,000 after purchasing an additional 568 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 108.4% in the 4th quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 1,346 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 700 shares during the period. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV lifted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Nissay Asset Management Corp Japan ADV now owns 47,232 shares of the company's stock worth $941,000 after purchasing an additional 891 shares during the last quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 225.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,385 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 959 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 54.8% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,997 shares of the company's stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 1,061 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.

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