Insider Buying: Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) EVP Buys $1,962,455.00 in Stock

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) EVP Thomas Moriarty bought 170,500 shares of Albertsons Companies 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 acquisition, the executive vice president owned 308,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,555,968.46. This represents a 123.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 3.9%

NYSE ACI opened at $11.60 on Friday. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $10.86 and a 52 week high of $20.02. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $14.42 and a two-hundred day moving average of $16.21. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $5.68 billion, a PE ratio of 144.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.42.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.54 by ($0.12). The firm 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%.Albertsons Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.55 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 1.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is 850.00%.

Key Stories Impacting 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

ACI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered Albertsons Companies from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $13.00 price target (down from $22.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $11.00 price target (down from $17.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Monday. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $17.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 24th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.31.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ACI. Twin Capital Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.7% during the first quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 43,912 shares of the company’s stock worth $748,000 after acquiring an additional 721 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 5.4% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $302,000 after purchasing an additional 723 shares during the period. CWM LLC boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 730 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 11.8% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 7,326 shares of the company’s stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 774 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 91.2% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.