Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ Acquires 315,241 Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 152.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 521,918 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 315,241 shares during the quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ owned approximately 0.10% of Albertsons Companies worth $9,139,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the second quarter worth $320,613,000. Sound Shore Management Inc CT bought a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 2nd quarter worth $65,530,000. LSV Asset Management raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 34.4% in the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 10,578,407 shares of the company’s stock valued at $227,542,000 after purchasing an additional 2,705,368 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 345.7% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,784,990 shares of the company’s stock valued at $59,905,000 after purchasing an additional 2,160,192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 17.7% during the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 9,388,320 shares of the company’s stock worth $164,389,000 after purchasing an additional 1,410,778 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In related news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total transaction of $863,870.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 289,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,102,633.27. The trade was a 14.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ACI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $14.00 price target (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Barclays lowered their target price on Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $21.58.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

NYSE ACI opened at $18.13 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $9.31 billion, a PE ratio of 11.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 0.48. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $15.80 and a 52 week high of $23.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $17.36 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $18.03.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $19.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.18 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.06% and a return on equity of 38.00%. The company’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.71 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. Research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 23rd were issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 23rd. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.71%.

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.