Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Coverage Initiated at Melius Research

Research analysts at Melius Research started coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) in a research report issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm set a “hold” rating and a $19.00 price target on the stock. Melius Research’s price target suggests a potential upside of 2.59% from the stock’s current price.

Separately, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $27.25 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $23.54.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

ACI stock opened at $18.52 on Monday. Albertsons Companies has a 1 year low of $17.80 and a 1 year high of $23.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.30, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.88. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $19.64 and its two-hundred day moving average is $20.14.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by ($0.01). Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.41% and a return on equity of 56.01%. The firm had revenue of $24.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.16 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.89 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 2.26 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 1st quarter worth $41,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 108.4% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after purchasing an additional 1,230 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 2,948.4% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,896 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 2,801 shares in the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd raised its stake in Albertsons Companies by 133.3% during the 1st quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 4,900 shares of the company’s stock valued at $105,000 after purchasing an additional 2,800 shares during the period. Finally, Intact Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the second quarter valued at $126,000. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

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.