Samson Rock Capital LLP Takes Position in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI)

Samson Rock Capital LLP acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 185,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,419,000. Albertsons Companies makes up about 3.5% of Samson Rock Capital LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd largest holding.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 22.1% during the third quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 107,792 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,992,000 after acquiring an additional 19,500 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,629,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 2nd quarter worth $687,000. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 35.5% during the second quarter. Lighthouse Investment Partners LLC now owns 12,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $247,000 after acquiring an additional 3,274 shares during the period. Finally, MBB Public Markets I LLC purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 2nd quarter worth about $440,000. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

NYSE ACI opened at $18.25 on Wednesday. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $17.80 and a 52 week high of $23.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.67. The stock has a market cap of $10.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.18, a PEG ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.48. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $19.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $19.97.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.66 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $24.27 billion for 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 business’s quarterly revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.89 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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 2.63%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 26th. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.52%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on ACI. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $27.25 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Melius Research assumed coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a “hold” rating and a $19.00 target price on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $23.54.

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.