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

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its price objective lowered by UBS Group from $25.00 to $23.00 in a research note released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the stock.

A number of other research firms have also commented on ACI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $22.85.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Albertsons Companies stock opened at $16.67 on Thursday. Albertsons Companies has a fifty-two week low of $15.80 and a fifty-two week high of $23.20. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $17.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $18.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The company has a market cap of $8.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.48.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 38.00% and a net margin of 1.06%.The business had revenue of $19.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.18 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.71 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is currently 38.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In related news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.35, for a total value of $1,935,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 338,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,548,601.15. This represents a 22.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the company’s 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 sale, the insider owned 300,577 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,786,107.25. This represents a 43.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 48.5% in the first quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 977,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,488,000 after purchasing an additional 319,093 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 24.4% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 354,777 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,802,000 after buying an additional 69,694 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 109.5% during 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 during the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $325,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,090,000. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Albertsons Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat — Albertsons reported $0.72 EPS vs. $0.67 expected, which supports the case that operating performance is holding up. Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend & yield — Board declared a $0.15 quarterly dividend (ex‑div Jan 23), yielding roughly 3.5–3.6%, which supports income‑oriented investors and underpins the value case.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts keep bullish ratings despite cuts — Multiple firms cut targets (JPMorgan, UBS, BMO, Telsey, Wells Fargo) but maintained buy/overweight/outperform stances, implying sizable upside from current levels. Analyst Notes
• Positive Sentiment: Value thesis & retail‑media optionality — MarketBeat and other analysts highlight deep valuation (single‑digit P/E vs. peers), institutional accumulation and growth potential from the company’s retail media network as catalysts for a multi‑quarter rebound. MarketBeat Article
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage: Deutsche Bank initiated coverage with a “hold” — adds another voice but not a clear directional catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical setup — Several pieces note ACI is oversold and could be ripe for a trend reversal; that reduces downside risk but timing is uncertain. Zacks Technical Note
• Negative Sentiment: Tepid / narrowed guidance — Management narrowed FY guidance and warned FY sales/profit will be hurt by lower Medicare drug pricing and a SNAP reimbursement impact; that’s the main driver of the recent negative re‑rating. Guidance Article
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure & pricing investments weighed on the stock — Even with an EPS beat, investors reacted to margin compression from pricing investments and lower pharmacy mix, driving a pullback after results. Zacks Earnings Reaction
• Negative Sentiment: Some bearish analyst moves — Barclays cut its target to $17 and moved to underweight, adding a lower‑end view that could pressure sentiment if others follow. Barclays Note

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.