Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Cut to Neutral at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) from an overweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report report published on Thursday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have $14.00 target price on the stock.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on ACI. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $13.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $23.00 to $12.00 in a report on Friday, July 24th. Bank of America reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $12.00 price objective (down from $16.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $14.62.

Albertsons Companies Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of Albertsons Companies stock opened at $13.11 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.89. Albertsons Companies has a 12-month low of $10.86 and a 12-month high of $20.00. The company has a market cap of $6.36 billion, a P/E ratio of -119.15, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.40. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $12.24 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $14.16.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, October 13th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.03. Albertsons Companies had a negative net margin of 0.06% and a positive return on equity of 52.17%. The firm had revenue of $18.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $18.87 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.30 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 1.65 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 23rd. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.2%. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is presently -618.18%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Susan Morris bought 39,409 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $11.42 per share, with a total value of $450,050.78. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 1,092,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,481,557.52. The trade was a 3.74% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Thomas Moriarty bought 170,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $11.51 per share, for a total transaction of $1,962,455.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president owned 308,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,555,968.46. The trade was a 123.15% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have purchased 218,909 shares of company stock valued at $2,515,826. 1.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Allworth Financial LP grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 144.3% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 3,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 2,225 shares during the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $66,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 2,406.4% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 5,113 shares of the company’s stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 4,909 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Albertsons Companies by 170.9% during the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,585 shares of the company’s stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 3,523 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Albertsons Companies in the second quarter worth about $85,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Key Albertsons Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: RBC raised its price target for Albertsons to $16, signaling improved potential upside from current trading levels. RBC raises target for Albertsons stock to USD 16.00
• Neutral Sentiment: Albertsons appointed Harmit Singh, Levi Strauss’ chief financial officer, to its board. The addition brings an experienced consumer and retail executive to the board, although the announcement did not include a change to financial expectations. Albertsons Appoints Harmit Singh to Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo maintained a Hold rating on ACI, indicating limited conviction that the stock will materially outperform or underperform in the near term. Wells Fargo Remains a Hold on Albertsons Companies
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons paused its financial guidance while undertaking a multiyear business review. Same-store sales declined 0.8% in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, highlighting pressure on customer demand and increasing uncertainty around the company’s outlook. Albertsons: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America reaffirmed its Underperform rating, reinforcing concerns about Albertsons’ operating performance and investment outlook. Bank of America Reaffirms Underperform Rating for Albertsons
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs downgraded ACI from Buy to Neutral with a $13 price target, while JPMorgan cut its rating from Overweight to Neutral with a $14 target. The downgrades suggest analysts see a more balanced risk-reward profile after recent weakness. JPMorgan Downgrades Albertsons to Neutral

About Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies, Inc is a U.S. food and drug retailer headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The company operates supermarkets, pharmacies and related retail businesses under banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Carrs and Haggen.

Its stores offer groceries, fresh produce, meat and seafood, bakery and deli items, household products, health and beauty products, and pharmacy services. Albertsons also provides private-label products, fuel at select locations, grocery delivery and pickup, digital shopping tools, and customer loyalty programs.

The company’s history traces to 1939, when Joe Albertson opened the first Albertsons store in Boise.