Wells Fargo & Company Cuts Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Price Target to $21.00

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its target price reduced by Wells Fargo & Company from $23.00 to $21.00 in a research report report published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. Finally, Tigress Financial raised their price target on Albertsons Companies from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $22.85.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

ACI stock opened at $16.67 on Thursday. Albertsons Companies has a twelve month low of $15.80 and a twelve month high of $23.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36. The company has a market cap of $8.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 0.48. The business’s fifty day moving average is $17.51 and its 200-day moving average is $18.72.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $19.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.18 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 38.00% and a net margin of 1.06%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.71 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 23rd will be given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.71%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Albertsons Companies

In other Albertsons Companies news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.35, for a total transaction of $1,935,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 338,429 shares in the company, valued at $6,548,601.15. This trade represents a 22.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.25, for a total transaction of $4,427,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 300,577 shares in the company, valued at $5,786,107.25. This trade represents a 43.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Peddock Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in Albertsons Companies by 1.9% in the second quarter. Peddock Capital Advisors LLC now owns 26,567 shares of the company’s stock valued at $571,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares in the last quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. raised its position in Albertsons Companies by 0.7% during the second quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 78,586 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,690,000 after purchasing an additional 524 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 3.4% in the 2nd quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 17,870 shares of the company’s stock valued at $384,000 after purchasing an additional 592 shares in the last quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. now owns 63,122 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,105,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 0.8% in the second quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 83,260 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,791,000 after buying an additional 623 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Albertsons Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings beat — Albertsons reported $0.72 EPS vs. $0.67 expected, which supports the case that operating performance is holding up. Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend & yield — Board declared a $0.15 quarterly dividend (ex‑div Jan 23), yielding roughly 3.5–3.6%, which supports income‑oriented investors and underpins the value case.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts keep bullish ratings despite cuts — Multiple firms cut targets (JPMorgan, UBS, BMO, Telsey, Wells Fargo) but maintained buy/overweight/outperform stances, implying sizable upside from current levels. Analyst Notes
• Positive Sentiment: Value thesis & retail‑media optionality — MarketBeat and other analysts highlight deep valuation (single‑digit P/E vs. peers), institutional accumulation and growth potential from the company’s retail media network as catalysts for a multi‑quarter rebound. MarketBeat Article
• Neutral Sentiment: New coverage: Deutsche Bank initiated coverage with a “hold” — adds another voice but not a clear directional catalyst.
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical setup — Several pieces note ACI is oversold and could be ripe for a trend reversal; that reduces downside risk but timing is uncertain. Zacks Technical Note
• Negative Sentiment: Tepid / narrowed guidance — Management narrowed FY guidance and warned FY sales/profit will be hurt by lower Medicare drug pricing and a SNAP reimbursement impact; that’s the main driver of the recent negative re‑rating. Guidance Article
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure & pricing investments weighed on the stock — Even with an EPS beat, investors reacted to margin compression from pricing investments and lower pharmacy mix, driving a pullback after results. Zacks Earnings Reaction
• Negative Sentiment: Some bearish analyst moves — Barclays cut its target to $17 and moved to underweight, adding a lower‑end view that could pressure sentiment if others follow. Barclays Note

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.