Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI)

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders bought 12,447 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 335% compared to the typical volume of 2,860 call options.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of ACI traded down $0.16 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $22.13. 4,407,682 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,957,961. Albertsons Companies has a 52-week low of $17.00 and a 52-week high of $23.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.29, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a current ratio of 0.90. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $21.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.18. The firm has a market cap of $12.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.44.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 15th. The company reported $0.46 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.06. The company 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 41.03% and a net margin of 1.19%. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.54 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 9th. Investors of record on Friday, April 25th were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 25th. Albertsons Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 stock was sold at an average price of $21.46, for a total transaction of $1,015,122.38. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 162,569 shares in the company, valued at $3,488,730.74. The trade was a 22.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.35% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the fourth quarter worth $243,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 204.7% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 10,731 shares of the company's stock valued at $211,000 after purchasing an additional 7,209 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 91.0% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 8,610 shares of the company's stock worth $169,000 after purchasing an additional 4,101 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,836,469 shares of the company's stock worth $55,708,000 after purchasing an additional 167,566 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp purchased a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $244,000. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $23.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $19.00 to $25.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Tigress Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $31.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $24.21.

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.