Thomas Moriarty Purchases 170,500 Shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) EVP Thomas Moriarty acquired 170,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $11.51 per share, with a total value of $1,962,455.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 308,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,555,968.46. This represents a 123.15% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Albertsons Companies stock traded up $0.27 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $11.63. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 11,829,039 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,275,026. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.70 billion, a PE ratio of 145.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.42. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $10.86 and a fifty-two week high of $20.02. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $14.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.84.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $24.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.84 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 45.59% and a net margin of 0.08%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.55 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors 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 5.8%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is currently 850.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 109.5% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,542,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,919,000 after acquiring an additional 806,336 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the 1st quarter worth about $1,090,000. M&T Bank Corp increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 21.4% during the 2nd quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 14,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 2,528 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 39.3% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 504,944 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,861,000 after purchasing an additional 142,457 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia raised 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 valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 723 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $12.00 price objective (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets cut shares of Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $23.00 to $12.00 in a research note on Friday. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and set a $11.00 target price (down from $17.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.31.

More Albertsons Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: ACI Edge could generate $200 million in savings. Albertsons’ technology and operating initiative is expected to improve efficiency and reduce costs, offering a potential earnings benefit if successfully implemented. Albertsons’ ACI Edge will produce $200M in savings
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity indicates some speculative interest. Traders purchased 4,588 ACI call options Monday, approximately 41% above typical call volume. This may reflect expectations for a rebound, although options activity alone does not establish a fundamental improvement.
• Neutral Sentiment: Albertsons is advancing its ACI Edge operating model. The company announced a new regional structure and its Merch United initiative, which could support better execution and merchandising over time. Albertsons advances ACI Edge with new regional operating model
• Negative Sentiment: UBS cut its ACI price target to $12 from $20 while maintaining a Neutral rating. The sharply lower target signals reduced confidence in Albertsons’ near-term recovery and leaves limited implied upside. UBS rating update
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup also maintained Neutral but lowered its target to $11 from $17. Citi said additional fixes are needed, reinforcing concerns about execution and profitability. Citi downgrades Albertsons to Neutral
• Negative Sentiment: The core catalyst remains Albertsons’ earnings miss and reduced fiscal 2026 outlook. Quarterly EPS came in below expectations, and management lowered its full-year adjusted EPS guidance amid consumer weakness. The company’s high leverage and very thin net margin add to investor concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced investigations into Albertsons. The inquiries focus on whether investors were misled regarding fiscal 2026 sales and earnings guidance after the disappointing results and outlook reduction. These notices add legal and reputational risk, though they do not represent proven wrongdoing. Albertsons investigation notice

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.