Sei Investments Co. Buys 91,804 Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 7.6% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 1,297,318 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 91,804 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $22,106,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lido Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 10.1% during the first quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 58,284 shares of the company’s stock worth $993,000 after acquiring an additional 5,366 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 22.2% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 13,931 shares of the company’s stock valued at $237,000 after purchasing an additional 2,529 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $178,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 11.8% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 15,013,525 shares of the company’s stock worth $255,855,000 after purchasing an additional 1,583,741 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 24.7% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,713 shares of the company’s stock worth $114,000 after purchasing an additional 1,331 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ACI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $12.00 target price (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Weiss Ratings lowered Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $23.00 to $12.00 in a research note on Friday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.31.

Albertsons Companies News Summary

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In related news, EVP Thomas M. Moriarty acquired 170,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $11.51 per share, for a total transaction of $1,962,455.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 308,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,555,968.46. This trade represents a 123.15% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Shares of ACI stock opened at $11.63 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $5.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 145.44, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.42. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $10.86 and a 52-week high of $20.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22. The company’s 50 day moving average is $14.61 and its 200 day moving average is $16.28.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) 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). The company had revenue of $24.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $24.84 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 45.59% and a net margin of 0.08%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.55 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is presently 850.00%.

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.