Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Hits New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $16.55 and last traded at $17.3830, with a volume of 3367938 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $17.36.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on ACI shares. Zacks Research upgraded Albertsons Companies from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, August 25th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Albertsons Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 2nd. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $23.77.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 0.2%

The firm has a market cap of $9.56 billion, a PE ratio of 10.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.49. The company’s 50-day moving average is $17.98 and its 200 day moving average is $19.31. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 14th. The company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $18.92 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.89 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 36.39% and a net margin of 1.20%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.51 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.060-2.190 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, October 24th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, October 24th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.50%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of Albertsons Companies stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.35, for a total value of $1,935,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 338,429 shares in the company, valued at $6,548,601.15. This trade represents a 22.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.25, for a total value of $4,427,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 300,577 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,786,107.25. This represents a 43.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peddock Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Peddock Capital Advisors LLC now owns 26,567 shares of the company’s stock worth $571,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares in the last quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 0.7% during the second quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 78,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,690,000 after buying an additional 524 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 17,870 shares of the company’s stock valued at $384,000 after buying an additional 592 shares during the period. Okabena Investment Services Inc. raised its stake 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Verdence Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 83,260 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,791,000 after acquiring an additional 623 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.