Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) has earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the seventeen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, seven have assigned a hold recommendation and seven have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $16.3846.

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets cut shares of Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $23.00 to $12.00 in a research report on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $13.00 target price (down from $22.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Friday.

Key Headlines Impacting Albertsons Companies

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Albertsons delivered first-quarter EPS of $0.42, missing expectations, while revenue of $24.94 billion was slightly ahead of estimates. The company also highlighted continued growth in digital and pharmacy, but core grocery sales showed pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Management cut fiscal 2026 guidance, now projecting adjusted EPS of $1.75-$1.85 and lower sales growth, citing cautious consumers and weaker grocery spending. The company also signaled fiscal 2026 adjusted EBITDA of $3.55 billion-$3.625 billion, alongside $200 million in expected ACI Edge run-rate benefits as it pushes a turnaround plan. Albertsons Companies, Inc. Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons warned that consumers are pulling back on grocery spending, and multiple reports described softer same-store grocery demand as the main reason for the stock decline. Albertsons warns of softer grocery demand as consumers pull back
• Negative Sentiment: Several brokerages reduced price targets after the results, including Goldman Sachs to $16, JPMorgan to $14, Barclays to $12, RBC to $13, Telsey to $13, and Wells Fargo to $11, reflecting more cautious expectations for near-term performance.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

NYSE:ACI opened at $10.99 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 137.44, a PEG ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.42. The company’s 50-day moving average is $14.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.36. Albertsons Companies has a 1-year low of $10.86 and a 1-year high of $20.47.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its 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 company had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.84 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 45.59%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.55 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. Analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.2%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 850.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 14.0% in the second quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB now owns 2,321,294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,407,000 after purchasing an additional 285,280 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 58.3% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 10,233 shares of the company’s stock valued at $138,000 after purchasing an additional 3,768 shares during the last quarter. Value Investment Professionals LLC raised its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 21.8% during the second quarter. Value Investment Professionals LLC now owns 66,006 shares of the company’s stock worth $893,000 after purchasing an additional 11,816 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 2,406.4% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 5,113 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 4,909 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 121.9% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 42,274 shares of the company’s stock worth $720,000 after buying an additional 23,227 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

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.