Wells Fargo & Company Has Lowered Expectations for Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock Price

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its price objective lowered by Wells Fargo & Company from $23.00 to $21.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 25.96% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on ACI. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Tigress Financial boosted their price target on Albertsons Companies from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $22.85.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

ACI stock opened at $16.67 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $8.57 billion, a P/E 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 quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.91. Albertsons Companies has a 1 year low of $15.80 and a 1 year high of $23.20. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.51 and a 200-day simple moving average of $18.74.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.06% and a return on equity of 38.00%. The company had revenue of $19.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $19.18 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.71 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In related news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 338,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,548,601.15. This represents a 22.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the 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 transaction, the insider owned 300,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,786,107.25. This represents a 43.35% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 319,093 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 24.4% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 354,777 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,802,000 after purchasing an additional 69,694 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in 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 purchasing an additional 806,336 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the first quarter worth approximately $325,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Albertsons Companies during the 1st quarter valued at $1,090,000. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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

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.