Key Points
- CEO Susan Morris bought 39,409 shares of Albertsons at an average price of $11.42, investing approximately $450,000 and increasing her direct ownership by 3.74%.
- Albertsons missed quarterly earnings expectations, reporting EPS of $0.42 versus the $0.54 consensus estimate. Revenue rose just 0.2% year over year, and fiscal 2026 EPS guidance was set at $1.75–$1.85.
- Analysts have become more cautious: several firms cut their price targets and ratings, leaving the stock with a consensus “Hold” rating and an average target of $15.31.
Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) CEO Susan Morris acquired 39,409 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $11.42 per share, for a total transaction of $450,050.78. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 1,092,956 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,481,557.52. This represents a 3.74% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.
Albertsons Companies Stock Down 3.9%
Shares of NYSE ACI opened at $11.60 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.21. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $14.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 144.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.42. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $10.86 and a 1 year high of $20.02.
Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last posted its 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). Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 45.59% and a net margin of 0.08%.The business had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.55 EPS. The company's revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. 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 1.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement
The business 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 dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. Albertsons Companies's dividend payout ratio is 850.00%.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 109.5% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,542,468 shares of the company's stock worth $33,919,000 after purchasing an additional 806,336 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $1,090,000. M&T Bank Corp grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 21.4% during the second quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 14,364 shares of the company's stock valued at $308,000 after buying an additional 2,528 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 39.3% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 504,944 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,861,000 after buying an additional 142,457 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia increased its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 5.4% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company's stock worth $302,000 after buying an additional 723 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company's stock.
Trending Headlines about Albertsons Companies
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
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research firms have issued reports on ACI. Citigroup reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $11.00 price objective (down from $17.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated 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, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $18.00 to $11.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Barclays cut 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, July 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $23.00 to $12.00 in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $15.31.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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