Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock Rating Lowered by UBS Group

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) was downgraded by research analysts at UBS Group from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report released on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada cut 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. BMO Capital Markets cut Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $23.00 to $12.00 in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Wells Fargo & Company cut Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $18.00 to $11.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.31.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of NYSE:ACI opened at $11.63 on Monday. 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 $5.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 145.44, a PEG ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.42. Albertsons Companies has a 1-year low of $10.86 and a 1-year high of $20.02. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $14.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $16.28.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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). Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 45.59%. The company had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.55 EPS. Albertsons Companies’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Albertsons Companies news, EVP Thomas M. Moriarty acquired 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, with a total value 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. The trade was a 123.15% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. CWM LLC grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 730 shares in the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 885 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 172.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 1,306 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 64.5% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,799 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 1,097 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 44.2% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,412 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 1,353 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Albertsons Companies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Executive bought $1.96 million of ACI stock. EVP Thomas Moriarty purchased 170,500 shares at an average price of $11.51, more than doubling his direct ownership. The transaction may signal confidence that the stock is undervalued. Thomas Moriarty insider purchase
• Positive Sentiment: ACI Edge could generate approximately $200 million in savings. Albertsons’ technology and operating initiative is expected to improve efficiency and reduce costs, potentially supporting earnings if implementation succeeds. Albertsons ACI Edge savings
• Neutral Sentiment: Citigroup reaffirmed its Neutral rating. Citi’s unchanged stance indicates that analysts see limited evidence of an immediate turnaround, while its $11 price target remains close to the current trading level. Citigroup reaffirms Neutral rating
• Negative Sentiment: UBS downgraded ACI from Strong Buy to Hold. The downgrade follows a reduction in its price target to $12 from $20, implying only modest potential upside and reflecting diminished confidence in the near-term recovery. UBS downgrades Albertsons
• Negative Sentiment: Recent results and guidance remain the main overhang. Albertsons reported quarterly EPS of $0.42 versus the $0.54 consensus estimate and reduced its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook amid consumer weakness. Revenue slightly exceeded expectations but grew only 0.2% year over year. Its thin net margin and high debt-to-equity ratio further increase investor concern.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal investigations add risk. Law firms announced investigations into whether Albertsons misled investors about its sales and earnings outlook before the results and guidance reduction. The notices create potential legal and reputational risk, although they do not establish wrongdoing. Albertsons investigation notice

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.