VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Makes New $81.46 Million Investment in Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 3,787,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $81,463,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. West Oak Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the second quarter worth about $30,000. SVB Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Bessemer Group Inc. bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the 1st quarter worth approximately $40,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 340.1% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,919 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after buying an additional 1,483 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new position in Albertsons Companies in the second quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.35, for a total transaction of $1,935,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 338,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,548,601.15. This trade represents a 22.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of Albertsons Companies stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.25, for a total value of $4,427,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 300,577 shares in the company, valued at $5,786,107.25. The trade was a 43.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Albertsons Companies Stock Up 2.8%

NYSE ACI opened at $19.77 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $10.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.70, a PEG ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a 50 day moving average of $18.55 and a 200-day moving average of $20.41. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $16.70 and a 1-year high of $23.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 24th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 35.50%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on ACI shares. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $23.50.

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.