Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Initiates Coverage on Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI)

Research analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) in a research note issued on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm set a “hold” rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Telsey Advisory Group reduced their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Eleven equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $22.85.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Shares of ACI opened at $16.67 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.57 billion, a PE ratio of 10.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.20. Albertsons Companies has a one year low of $15.80 and a one year high of $23.20. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $17.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $18.74.

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.35, for a total transaction of $1,935,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 338,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,548,601.15. This trade represents a 22.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.25, for a total transaction of $4,427,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 300,577 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,786,107.25. The trade was a 43.35% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 303.4% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 181,644 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,119,000 after purchasing an additional 136,618 shares during the period. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 19.2% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 93,162 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,594,000 after buying an additional 15,024 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 185.1% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 1,057 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 148.0% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,431 shares of the company’s stock valued at $76,000 after acquiring an additional 2,644 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies News Roundup

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.