I am initiating my coverage of ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW ) with a ‘Buy’ rating for long-term investors primarily due to their mature business model, expanding margins, and modest relative valuation despite 100%+ appreciation in their stock price over the last year.Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinion ...

Investors like to think of themselves as rational and unattached. Still, the movement of stock prices shows that this isn’t always true — and the existence of technical signals like oversold or undersold confirms that fact. Sometimes, investors let emotions get the best of them and stampede toward the exit following a bad earnings report, CEO departure, or product recall. However, not every negative story is a reason to sell, and investors who trust the data (while keeping a calm composure) often find the b ...

Certain stocks stand out as attractively priced and well-positioned for potential appreciation for value investors focused on long-term growth with a defensive approach. While not isolated from risks and challenges, the three companies discussed below trade at favorable valuations based on P/E ratios and earnings growth and offer the added benefit of dividend income, making them appealing to those seeking steady returns and compounding growth. So, let's explore three defensive stocks that present potential ...

Here are three stocks added to the Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) List today:Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) is an operator of food and drug stores. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 5.1% downward over the last 60 days.Amkor Technology, Inc. (AMKR) is a semiconductor packaging and test services outsourcer. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 12.5% downward over the last 60 days.ArcBest Corporation (ARCB) is a freight transportat ...

J Studios/DigitalVision via Getty Images Portfolio managers have to anticipate a variety of scenarios and allocate portfolios accordingly. The aggressive way to do this is to decide which future scenario is most likely, and then invest in whatever does best in that scenario. However, history has shown that even the best minds struggle to consistently anticipate how the future will play out. As such, most portfolio managers, me included, will hedge their bets a bit. Perhaps go a bit overweight in the dir ...

Here are three stocks added to the Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) List today:Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) is a retail holding company. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 5.1% downward over the last 60 days.Ambac Financial Group, Inc. (AMBC) is a financial services holding company. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 10.3% downward over the last 60 days.Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (BW) is an energy and emissions control ...

Here are three stocks added to the Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) List today:Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) is an operator of food and drug stores. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been 5.1% downward over the last 60 days.ArcBest Corporation (ARCB) is a freight transportation and integrated logistics services company. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings has been revised 13.2% downward over the last 60 days.American Vanguard Corporation (AVD) is a specialty ...

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) reported mixed first-quarter fiscal 2024 results, wherein sales surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate, while earnings met the same. Additionally, on a year-over-year basis, the company’s top line increased marginally but the bottom line declined.The company continued to prioritize its goal by investing in "Customers for Life" strategy and digital capabilities. The quarter marked loyalty member growth of 15% from the 'for U' program, significant growth in digital and pharmac ...

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-Q ☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the quarterly period ended June 15, 2024 OR ☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from _____ to _____ Commission File Number: 001-39350 Albertsons Companies, Inc. (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 47-4376911 (State or other jur ...

Sales Performance - Identical sales increased by 1.4% to $24.3 billion in Q1 FY2024 compared to $24.1 billion in Q1 FY2023[3] - Digital sales surged by 23% year-over-year, contributing to the overall sales growth[2] Income and Earnings - Net income for Q1 FY2024 was $240.7 million, or $0.41 per share, down from $417.2 million, or $0.72 per share in Q1 FY2023[7] - Adjusted net income decreased to $391.6 million, or $0.66 per share, compared to $545.7 million, or $0.93 per share in the prior year[7] - Net income for the 16 weeks ended June 15, 2024, was $240.7 million, down 42.3% from $417.2 million for the same period last year[26] - Adjusted net income for the 16 weeks ended June 15, 2024, was $391.6 million, down 28.3% from $545.7 million in the previous year[29] - Net income decreased from $1,446.5 million to $1,119.5 million year-over-year, a decline of approximately 22.6%[39] EBITDA and Margins - Adjusted EBITDA for Q1 FY2024 was $1,183.9 million, representing 4.9% of net sales, down from $1,318.5 million, or 5.5% in Q1 FY2023[7] - Adjusted EBITDA for the same period was $1,183.9 million, a decrease of 8.1% from $1,318.5 million year-over-year[31] - Adjusted EBITDA decreased from $4,575.2 million to $4,183.1 million year-over-year, a decline of approximately 8.6%[39] Expenses - Selling and administrative expenses rose to 25.9% of net sales in Q1 FY2024, up from 25.0% in Q1 FY2023, primarily due to increased operating expenses[5] - Selling and administrative expenses increased from $10.0 million to $12.4 million year-over-year[35] - Interest expense increased from $420.6 million to $482.9 million year-over-year[39] - Merger-related costs increased significantly from $97.5 million to $225.8 million year-over-year[39] Cash Flow and Assets - Net cash provided by operating activities increased to $960.9 million, compared to $838.3 million in the prior year, reflecting a growth of 14.6%[26] - Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period increased to $295.3 million from $233.2 million, a rise of 26.6%[26] - Cash and cash equivalents increased from $225.2 million to $291.1 million year-over-year[38] Liabilities and Equity - Total current assets decreased to $6,207.9 million from $6,287.5 million, a decline of 1.3%[24] - Total liabilities decreased to $23,163.8 million from $23,473.1 million, a reduction of 1.3%[24] - Total stockholders' equity increased to $2,913.1 million from $2,747.5 million, an increase of 6.0%[24] - Total debt decreased from $8,399.2 million to $7,857.4 million year-over-year[38] - Payments on long-term borrowings decreased to $200.2 million from $500.2 million, a reduction of 60%[26] Other Financial Metrics - Gross margin rate increased to 27.8% in Q1 FY2024 from 27.7% in Q1 FY2023, although it decreased by 22 basis points when excluding fuel and LIFO expenses[4] - The company reported a net loss on property dispositions of $5.3 million in Q1 FY2024, significantly lower than $27.6 million in Q1 FY2023[5] - The company is facing headwinds in FY2024 related to investments in associate wages and benefits, and an increasing mix of lower-margin pharmacy and digital businesses[2] - Miscellaneous adjustments totaled $19.8 million compared to $(2.4) million in the previous year[35] - LIFO expense decreased from $239.9 million to $32.6 million year-over-year[39] - Total Net Debt Ratio increased slightly from 1.79 to 1.81 year-over-year[38]