Marshall Wace LLP Purchases 362,813 Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI)

Marshall Wace LLP grew its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Free Report) by 8.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,923,324 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 362,813 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLP owned 0.85% of Albertsons Companies worth $97,236,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

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A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Signaturefd LLC grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 108.4% in the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,365 shares of the company's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 1,230 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 2,948.4% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,896 shares of the company's stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 2,801 shares during the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd grew its holdings 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 position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $126,000. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company's stock.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

NYSE ACI opened at $18.52 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $19.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $20.14. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $17.80 and a 12-month high of $23.47. The company has a market capitalization of $10.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.30, a P/E/G 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.

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Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.67 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $24.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.16 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 56.01% and a net margin of 1.41%. The company's quarterly revenue was up .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.89 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 9th. Investors of record on Friday, July 26th were given a $0.12 dividend. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 26th. Albertsons Companies's payout ratio is currently 21.52%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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A number of equities analysts have commented on ACI shares. Melius Research assumed coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday. They set a "hold" rating and a $19.00 price objective for the company. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $27.25 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $23.54.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies 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.

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