Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock Price Down 5.1% – Should You Sell?

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI)’s share price fell 5.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $15.93 and last traded at $16.1750. 885,401 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 87% from the average session volume of 7,076,117 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.05.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on ACI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $21.00 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $26.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.31.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 4.5%

The stock has a market capitalization of $8.05 billion, a PE ratio of 50.92, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58. The business’s 50-day moving average is $16.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.31.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. The business had revenue of $20.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.49 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.46 earnings per share. The business’s revenue 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, analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th were issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 24th. This is a positive change from Albertsons Companies’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 212.50%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ACI. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 730 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 185.1% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 1,057 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% in the fourth quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 172.8% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 32.9% in the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,524 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 625 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

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.