Gabelli Funds LLC Sells 80,778 Shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Gabelli Funds LLC reduced its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) by 71.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 32,000 shares of the company’s stock after selling 80,778 shares during the period. Gabelli Funds LLC’s holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $545,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 9.1% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 5,179,432 shares of the company’s stock worth $88,258,000 after purchasing an additional 430,101 shares during the last quarter. Inceptionr LLC bought a new position in Albertsons Companies in the 1st quarter worth about $239,000. Bank of Nova Scotia grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 10.9% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 25,066 shares of the company’s stock valued at $427,000 after purchasing an additional 2,466 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 7.6% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 1,297,318 shares of the company’s stock valued at $22,106,000 after purchasing an additional 91,804 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lido Advisors LLC increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 10.1% during the 1st quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 58,284 shares of the company’s stock valued at $993,000 after purchasing an additional 5,366 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed 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. Zacks Research cut shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $18.00 to $11.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $17.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.31.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

ACI opened at $11.60 on Friday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $14.42 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.84. 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 52-week low of $10.86 and a 52-week high of $20.02.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 EPS 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 company had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.55 earnings per share. The business’s revenue 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, analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 1.64 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a $0.17 dividend. 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 (DPR) is currently 850.00%.

More Albertsons Companies News

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Thomas M. Moriarty bought 170,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 purchase, the executive vice president owned 308,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,555,968.46. This represents a 123.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Susan Morris bought 39,409 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were bought at an average price of $11.42 per share, with a total value of $450,050.78. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 1,092,956 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,481,557.52. The trade was a 3.74% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 1.18% of the company’s stock.

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.