Natixis Advisors LLC Invests $546,000 in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI)

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC has acquired 24,809 shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI), valued at approximately $546,000, indicating growing institutional interest in the company.
• Albertsons recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, which results in an annualized yield of 3.1%, with a payout ratio of 36.59%.
• Despite a recent 1.8% decline in stock value, Albertsons reported a revenue increase of 2.5% year-over-year, with earnings per share of $0.55, surpassing expectations.

Natixis Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 24,809 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $546,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Southeastern Asset Management Inc. TN increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 108.0% in the fourth quarter. Southeastern Asset Management Inc. TN now owns 5,766,719 shares of the company's stock worth $113,258,000 after buying an additional 2,993,988 shares during the last quarter. Dendur Capital LP bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $49,100,000. Parsifal Capital Management LP increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 19.4% during the fourth quarter. Parsifal Capital Management LP now owns 10,204,862 shares of the company's stock valued at $200,423,000 after purchasing an additional 1,657,981 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 205.2% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,438,095 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,884,000 after purchasing an additional 1,639,190 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Candlestick Capital Management LP bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the fourth quarter valued at $30,376,000. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on ACI shares. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Roth Capital reissued a "buy" rating and set a $24.00 price target (up previously from $23.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $24.00 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, July 21st. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $19.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Albertsons Companies from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and twelve have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $24.06.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 0.7%

NYSE ACI traded up $0.14 on Friday, hitting $19.20. 1,881,028 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,137,822. The company's 50 day moving average price is $20.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.20. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $10.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.46. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $17.00 and a twelve month high of $23.20.

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

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 8th. Investors of record on Friday, July 25th were given a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 25th. 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.