Royal Bank Of Canada Reaffirms “Outperform” Rating for Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI)

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reissued by investment analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $21.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price target indicates a potential upside of 18.48% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on ACI. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of 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 reduced their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $14.00 price target (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Evercore dropped their price target on Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.58.

Albertsons Companies Stock Up 1.6%

ACI stock opened at $17.72 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $17.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36. The company has a market capitalization of $9.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 0.45. Albertsons Companies has a 52 week low of $15.80 and a 52 week high of $22.78.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In other news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total value of $863,870.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 289,429 shares in the company, valued at $5,102,633.27. This trade represents a 14.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 109.5% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,542,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,919,000 after purchasing an additional 806,336 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $1,090,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 13.6% in the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 157,950 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,388,000 after purchasing an additional 18,869 shares during the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp raised its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 21.4% during the 2nd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 14,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $308,000 after acquiring an additional 2,528 shares in the last quarter. Finally, 1832 Asset Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 15.6% during the second quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 41,862 shares of the company’s stock valued at $900,000 after acquiring an additional 5,643 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

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.