Insider Buying: Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) CEO Acquires $450,050.78 in Stock

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) CEO Susan Morris bought 39,409 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $11.42 per share, with a total value of $450,050.78. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,092,956 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,481,557.52. The trade was a 3.74% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 4.3%

Shares of NYSE:ACI opened at $12.07 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.84. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $14.51 and its 200-day moving average is $16.25. The company has a market cap of $5.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 150.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.42. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $10.86 and a 52-week high of $20.02.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted 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). Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 45.59% and a net margin of 0.08%.The business had revenue of $24.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.55 EPS. Albertsons Companies’s revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.6%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 850.00%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $11.00 price objective (down from $17.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $18.00 to $11.00 in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings cut Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Zacks Research cut Albertsons Companies from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $23.00 to $12.00 in a report on Friday, July 24th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.31.

Albertsons Companies News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Executive insider buying provided a confidence signal. EVP Thomas Moriarty purchased 170,500 shares at an average of $11.51, nearly doubling his direct ownership. The transaction may have supported the stock’s rebound by suggesting management views the sell-off as excessive. Thomas Moriarty insider purchase
• Positive Sentiment: ACI Edge could create approximately $200 million in savings. Albertsons’ technology and operating initiative, along with investments in AI, digital shopping and its 51.2 million-member loyalty program, could improve efficiency, personalization and margins if execution is successful. ACI Edge savings report
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS maintained a Neutral rating, while Citigroup reaffirmed Neutral. The ratings indicate limited conviction in either a near-term recovery or further major downside, although both firms have reduced their valuation expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded Albertsons from Hold to Strong Sell. The latest bearish call adds to pressure on the shares and reflects concerns about weaker profitability and execution. Zacks rating update
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts sharply reduced price targets. UBS cut its target to $12 from $20, and other analysts have lowered targets following Albertsons’ quarterly earnings miss and reset fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $1.75–$1.85 from $2.22–$2.32.
• Negative Sentiment: Legal investigations add uncertainty. Law firms, including Levi & Korsinsky, are investigating whether investors were misled about the company’s sales and earnings outlook. The inquiries do not establish wrongdoing but create additional reputational and legal risk. Albertsons investor investigation alert

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CWM LLC lifted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 103.5% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 730 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 1,306 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 64.5% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,799 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 1,097 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted 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 worth $69,000 after acquiring an additional 4,909 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.