Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI Stock Holdings Increased by Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA

Key Points

• Massachusetts Financial Services raised its stake in Albertsons by 12.9% to 10,597,903 shares (2.06% of the company), a holding worth about $181.97 million, while institutional investors now own roughly 71.35% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but cautious: the MarketBeat consensus is a Hold with a $21.58 target, and several firms including Morgan Stanley, Evercore, BMO and Barclays have recently lowered price targets or ratings.
• Albertsons shares trade near $17.29 with a 12‑month range of $15.80–$22.78, a market cap of $8.88 billion and a high leverage profile (debt-to-equity 3.36) despite a modest PE of 11.15.

Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Free Report) by 12.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 10,597,903 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 1,209,583 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA owned 2.06% of Albertsons Companies worth $181,966,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 37.1% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 8,269,879 shares of the company's stock worth $144,803,000 after buying an additional 2,239,291 shares during the last quarter. Sound Shore Management Inc CT increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 60.9% in the third quarter. Sound Shore Management Inc CT now owns 4,902,179 shares of the company's stock worth $85,837,000 after buying an additional 1,855,682 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 267.7% in the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 2,240,356 shares of the company's stock worth $39,229,000 after buying an additional 1,631,048 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 914.9% in the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,301,780 shares of the company's stock worth $22,794,000 after buying an additional 1,173,513 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 3,256.4% in the second quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 1,168,874 shares of the company's stock worth $25,142,000 after buying an additional 1,134,049 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ACI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Evercore dropped their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an "in-line" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley restated an "underweight" rating and issued a $14.00 price objective (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $21.58.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of ACI stock opened at $17.29 on Monday. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $15.80 and a 12 month high of $22.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36. The business's 50 day moving average is $17.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.60. The company has a market cap of $8.88 billion, a PE ratio of 11.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.45.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Albertsons Companies news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total transaction of $863,870.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 289,429 shares in the company, valued at $5,102,633.27. This trade represents a 14.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.35% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies, Inc NYSE: ACI is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, operating a diversified portfolio of grocery store banners. Founded in 1939 by Joe Albertson in Boise, Idaho, the company has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. Its core business activities encompass the sale of fresh produce, meat, bakery items, deli offerings, pharmacy services, and general merchandise. The company's retail operations are complemented by an in-house private-label program, featuring brands such as O Organics, Open Nature, and Lucerne, which cater to a range of customer preferences and price points.

Throughout its history, Albertsons Companies has pursued growth via mergers and partnerships.

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