Investors Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI)

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders acquired 14,743 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 69% compared to the typical volume of 8,743 call options.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the first quarter valued at about $41,000. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 108.4% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,365 shares of the company’s stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 1,230 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $62,000. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 2,948.4% in 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 during the period. Finally, UniSuper Management Pty Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 133.3% during the first 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 in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:ACI traded down $0.03 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $18.51. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,070,505 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,995,539. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $19.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $20.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.67. Albertsons Companies has a 12 month low of $17.80 and a 12 month high of $23.53. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.72 billion, a PE ratio of 8.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.49.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.89 EPS. The company’s revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 2.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 9th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 26th were given a dividend of $0.12 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 26th. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.59%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.52%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $27.25 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $24.45.

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.