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

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) EVP Thomas Moriarty purchased 170,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $11.51 per share, with a total value of $1,962,455.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 308,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,555,968.46. This represents 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 traded up $0.27 on Tuesday, hitting $11.63. 11,829,039 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,275,026. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 145.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.52 and a beta of 0.42. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $14.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.28. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $10.86 and a 1 year high of $20.02.

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

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Key Headlines Impacting Albertsons Companies

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

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in ACI. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 2,707.5% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 123,867 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,111,000 after acquiring an additional 119,455 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $388,089,000. Strategic Global Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 4th quarter worth about $2,858,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company’s stock valued at $675,305,000 after purchasing an additional 5,110,777 shares in the last quarter. Finally, III Capital Management lifted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 78.9% in the 4th quarter. III Capital Management now owns 215,370 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,698,000 after purchasing an additional 95,000 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on ACI. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their target price on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets cut 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $15.31.

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.