AlphaQuest LLC Decreases Stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI)

AlphaQuest LLC cut its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 37.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 23,197 shares of the company’s stock after selling 13,873 shares during the quarter. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $456,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 108.4% during the fourth quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 1,346 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 19,324 shares of the company’s stock worth $357,000 after acquiring an additional 895 shares during the period. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 225.1% in the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 1,385 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 959 shares in the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 10.0% in the 3rd quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 13,192 shares of the company’s stock valued at $244,000 after purchasing an additional 1,197 shares during the period. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 109,337 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,147,000 after purchasing an additional 1,498 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of Albertsons Companies stock opened at $21.18 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $20.40 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $19.49. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $17.00 and a 12-month high of $21.67. The firm has a market cap of $12.27 billion, a PE ratio of 11.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.31.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 8th. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $18.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.82 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 44.70% and a net margin of 1.30%. Albertsons Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.79 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 24th were paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.83%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 24th. This is a boost from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.12. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ACI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group reduced their target price on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Albertsons Companies in a research note on Friday, January 24th. They set a “buy” rating and a $26.00 price target for the company. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $26.00 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Tuesday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $23.50.

Albertsons Companies Profile

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.