Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Shares Sold by Magnetar Financial LLC

Magnetar Financial LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 3,919,381 shares of the company’s stock after selling 15,375 shares during the quarter. Albertsons Companies makes up about 1.6% of Magnetar Financial LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Magnetar Financial LLC’s holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $77,408,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. Signaturefd LLC boosted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 108.4% during the second quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,365 shares of the company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 1,230 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 2,801 shares in the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 133.3% during the first quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd now owns 4,900 shares of the company’s stock worth $105,000 after purchasing an additional 2,800 shares during the period. Finally, Intact Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the second quarter worth about $126,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Shares of ACI opened at $18.67 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $19.68 and a 200-day simple moving average of $20.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.67, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.88. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $17.80 and a 1 year high of $23.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.81 billion, a PE ratio of 8.37, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.49.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $24.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.16 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.41% and a return on equity of 56.01%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.89 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.26 earnings per share 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. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.57%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 26th. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.52%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Telsey Advisory Group restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $27.25 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $24.45.

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.