Albertsons Companies’ (ACI) Neutral Rating Reiterated at UBS Group

UBS Group reaffirmed their neutral rating on shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) in a report released on Tuesday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a $12.00 price objective on the stock, down from their previous price objective of $20.00.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on ACI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of 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, July 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.31.

Albertsons Companies Stock Down 3.9%

Shares of NYSE ACI opened at $11.60 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $5.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 144.94, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.42. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $14.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $16.21. Albertsons Companies has a 12-month low of $10.86 and a 12-month high of $20.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.54 by ($0.12). Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 45.59% and a net margin of 0.08%.The company had revenue of $24.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.55 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 1.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 850.00%.

Insider Transactions at Albertsons Companies

In other Albertsons Companies news, CEO Susan Morris acquired 39,409 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $11.42 per share, for a total transaction of $450,050.78. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 1,092,956 shares in the company, valued at $12,481,557.52. The trade was a 3.74% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Thomas M. Moriarty acquired 170,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $11.51 per share, for a total transaction of $1,962,455.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 308,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,555,968.46. The trade was a 123.15% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 1.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CWM LLC increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 103.5% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 730 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 172.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 64.5% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,799 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 1,097 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 44.2% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,412 shares of the company’s stock valued at $76,000 after buying an additional 1,353 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Insiders purchased shares following the sell-off. CEO Susan Morris bought 39,409 shares for approximately $450,000, while EVP Thomas Moriarty purchased 170,500 shares for about $2.0 million. These transactions may signal management’s confidence that the stock is undervalued. Albertsons insider buying report
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS reaffirmed its Neutral rating. The unchanged stance suggests the brokerage sees limited near-term catalysts despite the stock’s lower valuation. UBS reaffirms Neutral rating for Albertsons
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term initiatives could support recovery. Albertsons is investing in AI, digital sales, personalization and its 51.2 million-member loyalty program. The ACI Edge program is also intended to improve efficiency, but investors remain focused on whether these efforts can translate into stronger earnings.
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons missed quarterly earnings expectations. Adjusted EPS was $0.42 versus the $0.54 consensus estimate, while revenue of $24.94 billion was only slightly above forecasts and rose just 0.2% year over year. Management reduced fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $1.75–$1.85 from $2.22–$2.32, intensifying concerns about margins and operating performance.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are becoming more cautious. Zacks Research downgraded ACI to “Strong Sell,” while UBS previously cut its rating from Buy to Hold and reduced its target to $12. Other analysts also lowered price targets after the guidance reset, reinforcing the view that a recovery may take time. Zacks Albertsons rating
• Negative Sentiment: Investor-law-firm investigations add risk. Levi & Korsinsky announced an investigation into potential securities claims related to Albertsons’ prior sales and earnings guidance. The inquiry does not establish wrongdoing, but it adds legal and reputational uncertainty after the sharp outlook reduction. Levi and Korsinsky Albertsons investigation

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.