Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Announces Earnings Results

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) announced its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.01), Briefing.com reports. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 58.34% and a net margin of 1.41%. The firm had revenue of $24.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.16 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.89 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Albertsons Companies Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of ACI traded up $0.19 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $20.38. 3,605,537 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,934,104. The company has a market cap of $11.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83. Albertsons Companies has a 12-month low of $19.33 and a 12-month high of $23.88. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $20.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $20.74.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th will be given a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.36%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 26th. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is currently 21.52%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on ACI shares. Roth Mkm upgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $24.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Roth Capital raised Albertsons Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 16th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $27.25 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $24.45.

Insider Activity at Albertsons Companies

In related news, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.35, for a total transaction of $2,035,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 365,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,433,793.95. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Robert Bruce Larson sold 24,362 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.24, for a total transaction of $493,086.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 50,241 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,016,877.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.35, for a total value of $2,035,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 365,297 shares in the company, valued at $7,433,793.95. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.26% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 13,454 shares of the company’s stock worth $308,000 after buying an additional 1,041 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 5.3% during the fourth quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 48,829 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,123,000 after acquiring an additional 2,452 shares during the period. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 7.1% in the fourth quarter. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC now owns 776,966 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,870,000 after purchasing an additional 51,590 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 255.1% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,463 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,051 shares during the period. Finally, State of Michigan Retirement System bought a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $264,000. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

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.