Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Insider Anuj Dhanda Sells 100,000 Shares

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) insider Anuj Dhanda sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.35, for a total transaction of $2,035,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 365,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,433,793.95. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Albertsons Companies Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE ACI traded up $0.17 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $20.57. 2,311,911 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,386,310. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $20.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $21.53. The company has a market cap of $11.88 billion, a PE ratio of 9.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.50. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $19.84 and a twelve month high of $23.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.18.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 10th. Investors of record on Friday, April 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 25th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.33%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on ACI. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 16th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $27.25 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Roth Mkm raised Albertsons Companies from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $24.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 23rd. Finally, Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Friday, January 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $24.45.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in Albertsons Companies by 255.1% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,463 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,051 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp purchased a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $52,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $62,000. Finally, CI Investments Inc. increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 21.8% during the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 4,373 shares of the company’s stock worth $99,000 after purchasing an additional 783 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Albertsons Companies

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.