JPMorgan Chase & Co. Lowers Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Price Target to $23.00

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its price objective reduced by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $24.00 to $23.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price target points to a potential upside of 37.96% from the stock’s current price.

ACI has been the subject of several other research reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, November 2nd. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Eleven 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $22.85.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ACI 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 stock has a market cap of $8.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.76, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.91. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $17.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $18.74.

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

Insider Transactions at Albertsons Companies

In other Albertsons Companies news, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of Albertsons Companies stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider owned 300,577 shares of the company’s stock, 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 legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the business’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 owned 338,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,548,601.15. The trade was a 22.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 1.35% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 48.5% in the first quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 977,163 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,488,000 after purchasing an additional 319,093 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 24.4% in the first 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 last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake 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 valued at $33,919,000 after buying an additional 806,336 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies in the first quarter valued at $325,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $1,090,000. Hedge funds and other 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

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.