Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Short Interest Up 12.6% in September

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totalling 18,610,000 shares, an increase of 12.6% from the August 31st total of 16,530,000 shares. Approximately 4.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 3,150,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.9 days.

Albertsons Companies Stock Down 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE:ACI opened at $18.48 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $19.52 and a two-hundred day moving average of $20.08. The stock has a market cap of $10.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.28, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.67. Albertsons Companies has a 52-week low of $17.80 and a 52-week high of $23.47.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly 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). The company had revenue of $24.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.16 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 56.01% and a net margin of 1.41%. Albertsons Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.89 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Albertsons Companies will post 2.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th were issued a dividend of $0.12 per share. This represents a $0.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.60%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 26th. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.52%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 190,643 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,385,000 after purchasing an additional 7,687 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 489,931 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,268,000 after acquiring an additional 14,263 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter valued at about $411,000. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $1,147,000. Finally, Gabelli Funds LLC lifted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 873,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $20,085,000 after purchasing an additional 20,300 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ACI has been the topic of a number of research reports. 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. Melius Research initiated coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $19.00 price target on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $23.54.

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.