Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) EVP Thomas Moriarty Buys 170,500 Shares of Stock

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) EVP Thomas Moriarty purchased 170,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $11.51 per share, for a total transaction of $1,962,455.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly 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 ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 2.3%

Shares of ACI opened at $11.63 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22, a current ratio of 0.84 and a quick ratio of 0.21. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $10.86 and a 1-year high of $20.02. The stock has a market cap of $5.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 145.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.42. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.28.

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

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 850.00%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $388,089,000. Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 101.0% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 11,687,694 shares of the company’s stock worth $200,678,000 after buying an additional 5,873,759 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 62.4% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,429,784 shares of the company’s stock valued at $230,595,000 after acquiring an additional 5,159,905 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 14.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company’s stock valued at $675,305,000 after acquiring an additional 5,110,777 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 113.0% during the fourth quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,749,331 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,546,000 after acquiring an additional 2,519,432 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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: ACI Edge could generate $200 million in savings. Albertsons’ technology and operating initiative is expected to improve efficiency and reduce costs, offering a potential earnings benefit if successfully implemented. Albertsons’ ACI Edge will produce $200M in savings
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity indicates some speculative interest. Traders purchased 4,588 ACI call options Monday, approximately 41% above typical call volume. This may reflect expectations for a rebound, although options activity alone does not establish a fundamental improvement.
• Neutral Sentiment: Albertsons is advancing its ACI Edge operating model. The company announced a new regional structure and its Merch United initiative, which could support better execution and merchandising over time. Albertsons advances ACI Edge with new regional operating model
• Negative Sentiment: UBS cut its ACI price target to $12 from $20 while maintaining a Neutral rating. The sharply lower target signals reduced confidence in Albertsons’ near-term recovery and leaves limited implied upside. UBS rating update
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup also maintained Neutral but lowered its target to $11 from $17. Citi said additional fixes are needed, reinforcing concerns about execution and profitability. Citi downgrades Albertsons to Neutral
• Negative Sentiment: The core catalyst remains Albertsons’ earnings miss and reduced fiscal 2026 outlook. Quarterly EPS came in below expectations, and management lowered its full-year adjusted EPS guidance amid consumer weakness. The company’s high leverage and very thin net margin add to investor concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced investigations into Albertsons. The inquiries focus on whether investors were misled regarding fiscal 2026 sales and earnings guidance after the disappointing results and outlook reduction. These notices add legal and reputational risk, though they do not represent proven wrongdoing. Albertsons investigation notice

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on ACI shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup restated a “neutral” rating and set a $11.00 target price (down from $17.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price target for the company from $23.00 to $12.00 in a report on Friday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $15.31.

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.