Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Cut to “Equal Weight” at Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research report released on Thursday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The firm currently has $11.00 price objective on the stock, down from their prior price objective of $18.00.

ACI has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $21.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, April 6th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $16.38.

Albertsons Companies Stock Down 3.9%

ACI opened at $10.99 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $5.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 137.44, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.42. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $14.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.36. Albertsons Companies has a 52 week low of $10.86 and a 52 week high of $20.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its 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). The firm had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.84 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 45.59%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.55 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 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 $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.2%. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is 850.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of ACI. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 109.5% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,542,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,919,000 after acquiring an additional 806,336 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,090,000. M&T Bank Corp increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 21.4% during the second quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 14,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 2,528 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 39.3% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 504,944 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,861,000 after purchasing an additional 142,457 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia raised its stake in Albertsons Companies by 5.4% during the second 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. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies News Roundup

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Albertsons delivered first-quarter EPS of $0.42, missing expectations, while revenue of $24.94 billion was slightly ahead of estimates. The company also highlighted continued growth in digital and pharmacy, but core grocery sales showed pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Management cut fiscal 2026 guidance, now projecting adjusted EPS of $1.75-$1.85 and lower sales growth, citing cautious consumers and weaker grocery spending. The company also signaled fiscal 2026 adjusted EBITDA of $3.55 billion-$3.625 billion, alongside $200 million in expected ACI Edge run-rate benefits as it pushes a turnaround plan. Albertsons Companies, Inc. Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons warned that consumers are pulling back on grocery spending, and multiple reports described softer same-store grocery demand as the main reason for the stock decline. Albertsons warns of softer grocery demand as consumers pull back
• Negative Sentiment: Several brokerages reduced price targets after the results, including Goldman Sachs to $16, JPMorgan to $14, Barclays to $12, RBC to $13, Telsey to $13, and Wells Fargo to $11, reflecting more cautious expectations for near-term performance.

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.