Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Short Interest Up 32.6% in August

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) was the target of a large increase in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 16,530,000 shares, an increase of 32.6% from the August 15th total of 12,470,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,940,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.6 days. Currently, 4.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 108.4% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after buying an additional 1,230 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter valued at $62,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 2,948.4% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,896 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 2,801 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UniSuper Management Pty Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 133.3% during the first quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 4,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $105,000 after acquiring an additional 2,800 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $27.25 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $24.45.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

NYSE ACI traded down $0.20 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $18.86. 2,764,620 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,003,723. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $19.76 and a 200-day moving average of $20.22. Albertsons Companies has a one year low of $17.80 and a one year high of $23.62. The stock has a market cap of $10.92 billion, a PE ratio of 8.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.67.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by ($0.01). Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 56.01% and a net margin of 1.41%. The business had revenue of $24.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.89 EPS. Albertsons Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 2.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th were issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.55%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 26th. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.52%.

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.