JPMorgan Chase & Co. Has Lowered Expectations for Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock Price

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its target price lowered by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $20.00 to $14.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective points to a potential upside of 26.87% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on ACI. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $13.00 price target (down from $22.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Friday. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $17.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Weiss Ratings lowered Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $18.00 to $11.00 in a research note on Thursday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $16.38.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

NYSE:ACI traded down $0.41 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $11.04. The stock had a trading volume of 11,856,979 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,568,150. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $14.94 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $16.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.40 billion, a PE ratio of 34.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.42. Albertsons Companies has a 12 month low of $10.86 and a 12 month high of $20.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.20.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.84 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. The firm’s revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.55 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Twin Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 1.7% in the first quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 43,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $748,000 after purchasing an additional 721 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 723 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 730 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 11.8% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 7,326 shares of the company’s stock valued at $126,000 after acquiring an additional 774 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% in the fourth quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 885 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Albertsons Companies

Here are the key news stories impacting Albertsons Companies this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada kept an outperform rating on Albertsons Companies but still lowered its price target to $13 from $20, suggesting some analysts see limited upside despite the recent selloff. Benzinga source
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays lowered its target to $12 from $17 but kept the stock at only modest upside relative to the current share price, indicating the market may already be pricing in much of the bad news. Benzinga source
• Neutral Sentiment: Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a market perform rating and cut its target to $13 from $22, reflecting a more cautious stance after the results. Benzinga source
• Neutral Sentiment: Albertsons launched a new operating model and the ACI Edge initiative, aiming to improve efficiency and offset weaker grocery demand over time. Business Wire source
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons reported first-quarter EPS of $0.42, missing estimates of $0.54, and cut FY2026 guidance after comparable grocery sales weakened, a key reason shares are falling. Business Wire source
• Negative Sentiment: The company warned that softer grocery demand and tighter consumer budgets are pressuring sales, even though digital and pharmacy growth helped partly offset the weakness. Fox Business source
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo downgraded Albertsons to equal weight and lowered its target to $11, while several media reports highlighted the sharp post-earnings decline and weaker outlook. Benzinga source

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies, Inc (NYSE: ACI) is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, operating a diversified portfolio of grocery store banners. Founded in 1939 by Joe Albertson in Boise, Idaho, the company has grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. Its core business activities encompass the sale of fresh produce, meat, bakery items, deli offerings, pharmacy services, and general merchandise. The company’s retail operations are complemented by an in-house private-label program, featuring brands such as O Organics, Open Nature, and Lucerne, which cater to a range of customer preferences and price points.

Throughout its history, Albertsons Companies has pursued growth via mergers and partnerships.