Barclays Lowers Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Price Target to $17.00

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its price target lowered by equities research analysts at Barclays from $19.00 to $17.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “underweight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s price target suggests a potential upside of 1.97% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on ACI. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, October 30th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Evercore ISI decreased their target price on Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $22.85.

Albertsons Companies Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of Albertsons Companies stock opened at $16.67 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36. Albertsons Companies has a 52-week low of $15.80 and a 52-week high of $23.20. The company has a market capitalization of $8.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.76, a P/E/G ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a 50 day moving average of $17.51 and a 200 day moving average of $18.74.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $19.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $19.18 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.06% and a return on equity of 38.00%. The company’s revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.71 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Albertsons Companies

In other Albertsons Companies news, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 16th. The stock was 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. The trade was a 43.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 338,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,548,601.15. The trade was a 22.81% 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 Trading of Albertsons Companies

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 130.4% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,461 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 827 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 185.1% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 1,057 shares during the last quarter. West Oak Capital LLC acquired a new position in Albertsons Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 98.4% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 844 shares during the period. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies News Summary

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

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.