Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Price Target Lowered to $14.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its price target cut by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $20.00 to $14.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the stock.

A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on ACI. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $13.00 price objective (down from $22.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets downgraded Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $23.00 to $12.00 in a report on Friday. Citigroup decreased their price target on Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Barclays lowered their price target on Albertsons Companies from $17.00 to $12.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $16.38.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

NYSE:ACI opened at $10.99 on Friday. Albertsons Companies has a 52 week low of $10.86 and a 52 week high of $20.47. The firm has a market cap of $5.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 137.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 0.42. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $14.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.84.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.54 by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.84 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 45.59% and a net margin of 0.08%.Albertsons Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.55 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 850.00%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of ACI. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 109.5% in the 1st 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. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Albertsons Companies in the first quarter worth approximately $1,090,000. M&T Bank Corp boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 21.4% in the second quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 14,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $308,000 after acquiring an additional 2,528 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 39.3% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 504,944 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,861,000 after acquiring an additional 142,457 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 5.4% in the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company’s stock valued at $302,000 after acquiring an additional 723 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Albertsons Companies

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Albertsons delivered first-quarter EPS of $0.42, missing expectations, while revenue of $24.94 billion was slightly ahead of estimates. The company also highlighted continued growth in digital and pharmacy, but core grocery sales showed pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: Management cut fiscal 2026 guidance, now projecting adjusted EPS of $1.75-$1.85 and lower sales growth, citing cautious consumers and weaker grocery spending. The company also signaled fiscal 2026 adjusted EBITDA of $3.55 billion-$3.625 billion, alongside $200 million in expected ACI Edge run-rate benefits as it pushes a turnaround plan. Albertsons Companies, Inc. Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons warned that consumers are pulling back on grocery spending, and multiple reports described softer same-store grocery demand as the main reason for the stock decline. Albertsons warns of softer grocery demand as consumers pull back
• Negative Sentiment: Several brokerages reduced price targets after the results, including Goldman Sachs to $16, JPMorgan to $14, Barclays to $12, RBC to $13, Telsey to $13, and Wells Fargo to $11, reflecting more cautious expectations for near-term performance.

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.