The Goldman Sachs Group Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock Price

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its target price dropped by The Goldman Sachs Group from $24.00 to $16.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s price objective points to a potential upside of 45.52% from the company’s current price.

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

Albertsons Companies Stock Down 3.9%

Shares of ACI opened at $10.99 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $5.39 billion, a PE ratio of 137.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.42. The business has a fifty day moving average of $14.83 and a 200 day moving average of $16.36. Albertsons Companies has a 52-week low of $10.86 and a 52-week high of $20.47. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22.

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

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in ACI. CWM LLC increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 103.5% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 730 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 91.2% in the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 885 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 172.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 1,306 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 64.5% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,799 shares of the company’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 1,097 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 44.2% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,412 shares of the company’s stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 1,353 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies News Summary

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.

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.