Anson Funds Management LP Acquires 1,451,936 Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI)

Anson Funds Management LP increased its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Free Report) by 122.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,642,101 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,451,936 shares during the period. Albertsons Companies makes up approximately 5.3% of Anson Funds Management LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Anson Funds Management LP owned 0.46% of Albertsons Companies worth $51,891,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 108.4% during the 4th 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 Albertsons Companies by 225.1% during the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,385 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 959 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in 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 acquiring an additional 1,358 shares during the last quarter. WealthCollab LLC raised 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 valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,454 shares during the period. Finally, Ossiam bought a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $93,000. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on ACI. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Friday, January 24th. They set a "buy" rating and a $26.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $23.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Wednesday, April 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $26.00 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Tigress Financial increased their target price on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI lowered their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 17th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $23.93.

Albertsons Companies Stock Up 1.1 %

ACI stock traded up $0.23 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $21.93. 5,749,941 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,467,317. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.32, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.47. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $17.00 and a 1 year high of $23.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.31. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $21.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $20.28.

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

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 9th. Investors of record on Friday, April 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 25th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.74%. Albertsons Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.59%.

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.