Royal Bank of Canada Sells 235,336 Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada cut its Albertsons stake by 41.8%, selling 235,336 shares and retaining 327,886 shares valued at approximately $5.6 million. Institutional investors still own 71.35% of the company.
• Albertsons shares traded at $11.98, down 2.2%, after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.42, below the $0.54 analyst consensus, while revenue reached $24.94 billion and rose slightly year over year.
• Company insiders bought 218,909 shares over the past 90 days, while analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $15.31. Albertsons also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.17, implying a 5.7% annualized yield.

Royal Bank of Canada lessened its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Free Report) by 41.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 327,886 shares of the company's stock after selling 235,336 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada owned 0.07% of Albertsons Companies worth $5,587,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $388,089,000. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings 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 during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Albertsons Companies by 62.4% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,429,784 shares of the company's stock valued at $230,595,000 after purchasing an additional 5,159,905 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised 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 valued at $675,305,000 after purchasing an additional 5,110,777 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in Albertsons Companies by 113.0% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,749,331 shares of the company's stock valued at $81,546,000 after purchasing an additional 2,519,432 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 2.2%

Shares of NYSE:ACI opened at $11.98 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.81 billion, a PE ratio of 149.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $10.86 and a 12-month high of $20.00. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $13.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.87.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.54 by ($0.12). Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 45.59% and a net margin of 0.08%.The company had revenue of $24.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $24.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.55 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.7%. Albertsons Companies's payout ratio is currently 850.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In other news, EVP Thomas M. Moriarty purchased 170,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $11.51 per share, for a total transaction of $1,962,455.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 308,946 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,555,968.46. This represents a 123.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Sharon Mccollam purchased 9,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 31st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $11.48 per share, for a total transaction of $103,320.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 567,051 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,509,745.48. This represents a 1.61% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders bought 218,909 shares of company stock valued at $2,515,826. 1.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ACI has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Research downgraded Albertsons Companies from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $17.00 to $12.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $12.00 price target (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $15.31.

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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