UBS Group Lowers Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Price Target to $23.00

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its price target cut by investment analysts at UBS Group from $25.00 to $23.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 38.43% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Telsey Advisory Group cut 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. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $22.92.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ACI traded up $0.53 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $16.62. The company had a trading volume of 6,419,582 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,146,965. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $17.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $18.79. Albertsons Companies has a 1-year low of $15.80 and a 1-year high of $23.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25. The stock has a market cap of $9.13 billion, a PE ratio of 9.82, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.48.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $19.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.18 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.20% and a return on equity of 36.39%. Albertsons Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.71 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of Albertsons Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.25, for a total value of $4,427,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 300,577 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,786,107.25. The trade was a 43.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.35, for a total transaction of $1,935,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 338,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,548,601.15. This represents a 22.81% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 48.5% in the 1st quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 977,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,488,000 after acquiring an additional 319,093 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 24.4% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 354,777 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,802,000 after purchasing an additional 69,694 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in 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 buying an additional 806,336 shares in the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the first quarter valued at about $325,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in Albertsons Companies during the first quarter valued at $1,090,000. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results beat on EPS (reported $0.72 vs. $0.67 est.) and management raised FY2025 EPS guidance to $2.08–$2.16, which supports upside to estimates and underpins the stock’s gains. Business Wire: Q3 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a $0.15 quarterly dividend (ex‑div Jan. 23), supporting yield-focused investors and income demand for the stock. Business Wire: Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Early results from its AI shopping assistant show a ~10% increase in basket size, highlighting digital/loyalty monetization upside and supporting the company’s retail‑media/tech transformation thesis. PYMNTS: AI Shopping Assistant
• Neutral Sentiment: Deutsche Bank initiated coverage with a “hold” rating — a neutral signal that may limit near‑term momentum until clearer catalysts emerge.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary frames ACI as a deep‑value, yield play with institutional accumulation and retail‑media upside; that supports longer‑term constructive views even as price action is weak. MarketBeat: Deep Value Piece
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons narrowed its full‑year outlook and flagged tepid annual sales/profit pressure from lower Medicare drug pricing and SNAP program impacts — a direct headwind to revenue and margin expectations. MSN: Guidance/Narrowing Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts trimmed price targets (Barclays to $17/underweight; Wells Fargo, BMO, Telsey trimmed PTs but kept bullish ratings), creating mixed sell pressure and headline risk despite some firms remaining constructive. Benzinga: PT Changes

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.