Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research upgraded Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) from a "strong sell" to a "hold" rating, reflecting a shift in analyst sentiment toward the stock.
• Eleven analysts have assigned a "buy" rating to the stock, indicating a generally positive outlook, with an average target price of $23.94.
• Albertsons reported a net margin of 1.18% and a revenue increase of 2.5% year-over-year, with quarterly earnings per share surpassing estimates slightly at $0.55.

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Free Report) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $24.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Barclays started coverage on Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, July 21st. They set an "underweight" rating and a $19.00 target price for the company. Roth Capital reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $24.00 target price (up from $23.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Tigress Financial reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Finally, UBS Group raised Albertsons Companies from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the company from $22.00 to $27.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 22nd. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $23.94.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:ACI traded up $0.20 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $19.46. 4,528,832 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,352,472. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.96 and a beta of 0.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.17, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.82. The business's 50-day moving average price is $20.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $21.12. Albertsons Companies has a 12 month low of $17.00 and a 12 month high of $23.20.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 15th. The company reported $0.55 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.01. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 37.92% and a net margin of 1.18%.The company had revenue of $24.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.68 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.030-2.160 EPS. Analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Albertsons Companies's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.59%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. West Oak Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $30,000. SVB Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Albertsons Companies during the first quarter valued at $32,000. WealthCollab LLC raised its stake in Albertsons Companies by 446.0% during the fourth quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 1,780 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 1,454 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in Albertsons Companies by 98.4% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,702 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 844 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. purchased a new position in Albertsons Companies during the first quarter valued at $40,000. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies Company 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.