Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Raises Dividend to $0.17 Per Share

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be given a dividend of 0.17 per share on Friday, May 8th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. This is a 13.3% increase from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15.

Albertsons Companies has a dividend payout ratio of 26.7% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Albertsons Companies to earn $2.22 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.60 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 27.0%.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of ACI traded down $0.49 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $16.36. The company had a trading volume of 13,735,604 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,443,058. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The company has a market capitalization of $8.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.55, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.45. Albertsons Companies has a twelve month low of $15.80 and a twelve month high of $22.78. The company’s 50-day moving average is $17.56 and its 200-day moving average is $17.60.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 38.00% and a net margin of 1.06%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.46 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Albertsons Companies

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 transaction of $863,870.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 289,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,102,633.27. This trade represents a 14.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ACI. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the fourth quarter valued at $388,089,000. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 101.0% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,687,694 shares of the company’s stock valued at $200,678,000 after purchasing an additional 5,873,759 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings 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 worth $230,595,000 after purchasing an additional 5,159,905 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Albertsons Companies by 14.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company’s stock worth $675,305,000 after buying an additional 5,110,777 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 113.0% in the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,749,331 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,546,000 after buying an additional 2,519,432 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

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.