Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Buys 239,291 Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Key Points

• Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 8.4%, acquiring an additional 239,291 shares during the 1st quarter, bringing its total ownership to approximately 3.08 million shares valued at around $67.6 million.
• Several hedge funds have also significantly boosted their stakes in Albertsons, with institutional investors holding 71.35% of the company's stock.
• Albertsons Companies recently announced a $0.15 per share quarterly dividend, translating to a 3.1% dividend yield and a payout ratio of 36.59%.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Free Report) by 8.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,075,760 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 239,291 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 0.53% of Albertsons Companies worth $67,636,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. WealthCollab LLC increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 446.0% in the 4th quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 1,780 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,454 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the first quarter worth approximately $40,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 340.1% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,919 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 1,483 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 54.8% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,997 shares of the company's stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 1,061 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 100.0% during the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 3,370 shares of the company's stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 1,685 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company's stock.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

ACI traded down $0.08 on Monday, hitting $19.12. The company had a trading volume of 1,660,114 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,125,152. The stock has a market cap of $10.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.18. The company's fifty day moving average price is $20.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $21.21. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $17.00 and a 1-year high of $23.20.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 15th. The company reported $0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $24.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $24.68 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.18% and a return on equity of 37.92%. Albertsons Companies's revenue for the quarter was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.66 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 25th were issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 25th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. Albertsons Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.59%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ACI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays started coverage on Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, July 21st. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $19.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Albertsons Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $31.00 to $29.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 23rd. Tigress Financial reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Albertsons Companies from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their target price for the company from $19.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $24.06.

Albertsons Companies Profile

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.