Albertsons Companies Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:ACI)

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 12,447 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 335% compared to the typical volume of 2,860 call options.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of Albertsons Companies stock traded down $0.10 during trading on Friday, reaching $22.18. The company's stock had a trading volume of 836,439 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,934,381. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $21.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $21.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.29. The company has a market capitalization of $12.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.44. Albertsons Companies has a 12-month low of $17.00 and a 12-month high of $23.20.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 15th. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.06. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 41.03% and a net margin of 1.19%. The company had revenue of $18.80 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.78 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.54 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 25th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 25th. Albertsons Companies's payout ratio is 36.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on ACI. Tigress Financial restated a "buy" rating and set a $28.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $31.00 price objective on Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $24.00 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $24.21.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In other news, EVP Omer Gajial sold 47,303 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.46, for a total value of $1,015,122.38. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 162,569 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,488,730.74. The trade was a 22.54% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.35% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Albertsons Companies during the first quarter worth about $32,000. WealthCollab LLC boosted its position 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 period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake 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 valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,358 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the first quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 340.1% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,919 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 1,483 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently 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.