Albertsons Companies’ (ACI) “Neutral” Rating Reiterated at Citigroup

Citigroup reissued their neutral rating on shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) in a research report released on Monday morning, Marketbeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $11.00 price objective on the stock, down from their previous price objective of $17.00.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their target price on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $13.00 price target (down from $22.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Friday, July 24th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Five 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.31.

Albertsons Companies Stock Up 4.3%

Shares of NYSE ACI opened at $12.07 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $5.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 150.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.42. 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 has a 1 year low of $10.86 and a 1 year high of $20.02. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $14.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $16.25.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.54 by ($0.12). Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 45.59%. The business had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.55 earnings per share. 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. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.6%. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is currently 850.00%.

Insider Activity

In other news, 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 cost of $11.51 per share, for a total transaction of $1,962,455.00. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president directly owned 308,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,555,968.46. This represents a 123.15% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 1.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 2,707.5% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 123,867 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,111,000 after purchasing an additional 119,455 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $388,089,000. Strategic Global Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $2,858,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 14.9% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company’s stock worth $675,305,000 after purchasing an additional 5,110,777 shares in the last quarter. Finally, III Capital Management increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 78.9% during the 4th quarter. III Capital Management now owns 215,370 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,698,000 after purchasing an additional 95,000 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Albertsons Companies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying provided a confidence signal. Executive Vice President Thomas Moriarty purchased 170,500 shares for approximately $2.0 million at an average price of $11.51, more than doubling his direct stake. Thomas Moriarty buys Albertsons shares
• Positive Sentiment: Cost-saving and digital initiatives offer potential upside. ACI Edge is expected to generate about $200 million in savings, while Albertsons is using artificial intelligence, digital sales and its 51.2 million-member loyalty program to improve personalization and efficiency. Execution will determine whether these investments translate into stronger earnings. Albertsons ACI Edge savings Albertsons AI digital and loyalty strategy
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is attracting deep-value interest. ACI trades near multi-year valuation lows after a steep 2026 sell-off, but investors remain divided over whether the discount adequately reflects weaker profitability and execution risks. Albertsons deep-value analysis
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains cautious. UBS downgraded Albertsons to Hold and cut its price target to $12 from $20, while Citigroup reaffirmed Neutral. The analyst actions reflect uncertainty about the company’s recovery and leave limited near-term upside.
• Negative Sentiment: The earnings reset remains the primary overhang. Albertsons reported quarterly EPS of $0.42 versus the $0.54 consensus estimate and reduced fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $1.75–$1.85 from $2.22–$2.32. Margin pressure, weak grocery trends, high leverage and a 0.08% net margin further complicate the turnaround. Albertsons fiscal 2026 reset
• Negative Sentiment: Investor investigations add legal risk. Law firms, including Levi & Korsinsky, announced investigations into whether investors were misled about sales and earnings guidance. The notices do not establish wrongdoing but may increase reputational and litigation concerns. Albertsons investor investigation alert

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.