Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Hits New 52-Week Low – Should You Sell?

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $15.35 and last traded at $15.3310, with a volume of 1556129 shares. The stock had previously closed at $15.66.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on ACI. 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 report on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price 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. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $21.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $26.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.31.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $16.48 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The stock has a market cap of $7.63 billion, a PE ratio of 48.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.40.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its quarterly 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. The company had revenue of $20.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.49 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. Albertsons Companies’s revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.46 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 an increase 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 4.4%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is 212.50%.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. CWM LLC boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 103.5% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 730 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 185.1% during 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 period. NBC Securities Inc. lifted 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 worth $32,000 after buying an additional 885 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted 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 worth $35,000 after buying an additional 1,306 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $46,000. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Albertsons Companies

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.