Palliser Capital UK Ltd Has $14.26 Million Stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI)

Palliser Capital UK Ltd raised its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 39.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 771,482 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 217,733 shares during the quarter. Albertsons Companies makes up about 9.6% of Palliser Capital UK Ltd’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest holding. Palliser Capital UK Ltd’s holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $14,257,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ACI. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 108.4% during the second 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 last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted 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 buying an additional 2,801 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd grew its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 133.3% in the 1st quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 4,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $105,000 after buying an additional 2,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Intact Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $126,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the company. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $27.25 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Friday, October 11th. Melius raised shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $24.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, October 21st. Melius Research raised shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $24.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, October 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $23.58.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:ACI opened at $18.64 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $18.74 and a 200-day moving average of $19.67. The firm has a market cap of $10.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.58. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $17.80 and a twelve month high of $23.47.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 15th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $18.55 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.47 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.25% and a return on equity of 49.50%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.60 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 8th. Investors of record on Monday, October 28th will be issued a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.58%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, October 28th. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is 28.07%.

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.