Alberta Investment Management Corp Makes New $9.25 Million Investment in Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 528,300 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,251,000.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Tredje AP fonden boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 71.7% in the 2nd quarter. Tredje AP fonden now owns 46,647 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,003,000 after purchasing an additional 19,477 shares in the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,492,000. Inspire Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies in the second quarter valued at about $379,000. Islay Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the second quarter worth about $987,000. Finally, Swiss National Bank increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 7.1% during the second quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 1,133,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,390,000 after buying an additional 75,400 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently commented on ACI. UBS Group reduced their target price on Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and set a $14.00 target price (down previously from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, January 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.58.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total value of $863,870.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 289,429 shares in the company, valued at $5,102,633.27. This represents a 14.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 1.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 1.9%

ACI stock opened at $18.13 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $15.80 and a twelve month high of $23.20. The company has a market cap of $9.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.69, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 0.48. The business has a fifty day moving average of $17.36 and a 200-day moving average of $18.03.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $19.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.18 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 38.00% and a net margin of 1.06%.The company’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.71 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 6th. Investors of record on Friday, January 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 23rd. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is 38.71%.

Albertsons Companies 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.