Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.05 EPS

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05, Briefing.com reports. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 38.00% and a net margin of 1.06%.During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.46 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies updated its FY 2026 guidance to 2.220-2.320 EPS.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Albertsons Companies stock opened at $16.49 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.20. Albertsons Companies has a 12 month low of $15.80 and a 12 month high of $22.78. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $17.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $17.60. The company has a market cap of $8.47 billion, a PE ratio of 10.72, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 0.45.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ACI has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Evercore decreased their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a “hold” rating on the stock. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reduced their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.58.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In other news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 49,000 shares of Albertsons Companies stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.63, for a total value of $863,870.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 289,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,102,633.27. The trade was a 14.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ACI. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 101.0% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,687,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $200,678,000 after purchasing an additional 5,873,759 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 62.4% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,429,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,595,000 after purchasing an additional 5,159,905 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 113.0% during the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,749,331 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,546,000 after purchasing an additional 2,519,432 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 267.7% during the 3rd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 2,240,356 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,229,000 after buying an additional 1,631,048 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 104.8% in the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 2,525,511 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,363,000 after buying an additional 1,292,121 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Albertsons Companies News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and revenue growth — Albertsons reported $0.48 EPS vs. $0.43 consensus and revenue up 7.7% year-over-year, showing underlying operating strength. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: FY2026 EPS guidance above consensus — management set FY2026 EPS at $2.220–2.320 versus a ~$2.13 Street consensus, which supports forward earnings expectations and valuation. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike — Board raised the common dividend by 13% to $0.17 per share, signaling cash-flow confidence and returning capital to shareholders. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst stance unchanged — Evercore ISI maintained a Hold rating, leaving broker sentiment mixed and indicating limited near-term analyst-driven upside. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Large opioid-settlement framework and related charge — Albertsons announced a $774M settlement framework to resolve substantially all opioid claims; the company took a charge that swung the quarter to a GAAP loss, creating near-term earnings volatility and balance-sheet/legal risk. Read More. and Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Top-line pressure: sales guidance below estimates — Management forecasted annual sales below Wall Street expectations and cited competitive discounting from larger rivals, a headwind for revenue growth and margin mix. Read More.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

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.