Ruffer LLP Makes New Investment in Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Key Points

• Ruffer LLP acquired a new position in Albertsons (NYSE:ACI) of 195,920 shares in Q4, valued at roughly $3.37 million, and institutional investors now own about 71.35% of the stock.
• Albertsons beat quarterly EPS estimates ($0.48 vs. $0.43) while revenue slightly missed, set FY2026 guidance of $2.22–$2.32 EPS, and raised its quarterly dividend to $0.17 (annualized yield ~4.0% and DPR 187.5%).
• Analyst sentiment is mixed with a consensus "Hold" rating and an average price target of $21.31 (10 Buys, 5 Holds, 2 Sells).

Ruffer LLP acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 195,920 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,369,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. grew its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 79,188 shares of the company's stock worth $1,387,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. now owns 63,122 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,105,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 32.9% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,524 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 625 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company's stock valued at $302,000 after buying an additional 723 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 730 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ACI has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a "hold" rating for the company. Evercore decreased their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an "in-line" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $21.31.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 2.9%

Albertsons Companies stock opened at $17.12 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $17.42 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $17.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.48, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.45. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $15.80 and a 52-week high of $22.78.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $20.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.49 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. Albertsons Companies's revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.46 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 24th. This is a positive change from Albertsons Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Albertsons Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 187.50%.

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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