Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Boosts Stock Holdings in Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 11.8% in Q1, bringing its holdings to 15.0 million shares worth about $255.9 million.
• Other major institutional investors also added to positions in ACI, and 71.35% of the stock is now owned by institutions and hedge funds.
• Albertsons declared a quarterly dividend of $0.17 per share payable August 7, implying an annualized yield of 4.6%; meanwhile, analysts currently have a consensus rating of Hold with a price target of $20.25.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Free Report) by 11.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,013,525 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 1,583,741 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 3.04% of Albertsons Companies worth $255,855,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $388,089,000. Morgan Stanley increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 101.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,687,694 shares of the company's stock worth $200,678,000 after purchasing an additional 5,873,759 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 14.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company's stock worth $675,305,000 after purchasing an additional 5,110,777 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 113.0% in the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,749,331 shares of the company's stock valued at $81,546,000 after buying an additional 2,519,432 shares during the period. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its position in Albertsons Companies by 267.7% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 2,240,356 shares of the company's stock valued at $39,229,000 after buying an additional 1,631,048 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE ACI opened at $14.64 on Thursday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $15.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.43. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $13.16 and a 52 week high of $20.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58. The stock has a market cap of $7.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.76, a PEG ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.42.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.6%. Albertsons Companies's payout ratio is currently 212.50%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ACI. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $21.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, April 6th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $18.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Albertsons Companies from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $20.25.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

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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