Citigroup Has Lowered Expectations for Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock Price

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its price target reduced by research analysts at Citigroup from $26.00 to $22.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Citigroup’s price target suggests a potential upside of 34.43% from the stock’s previous close.

ACI has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $21.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, April 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Evercore dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $14.00 target price (down from $20.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $21.31.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE:ACI opened at $16.37 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $17.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $17.58. Albertsons Companies has a 52 week low of $15.80 and a 52 week high of $22.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58. The stock has a market cap of $8.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.14, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 0.45.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. The firm had revenue of $20.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $20.49 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.46 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CWM LLC boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 730 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 130.4% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,461 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 827 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 185.1% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 172.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

More Albertsons Companies News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and upbeat guidance: Albertsons reported Q4 EPS $0.48 vs. $0.43 consensus, revenue rose ~7.7% year/year, and FY26 EPS guidance was set at $2.22–$2.32 — supports cash‑return plans and validates margins despite pharmacy headwinds. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend increase and cash returns: Management boosted the dividend and continues buybacks/shareholder returns, signaling confidence in free cash flow even after pressure from pharmacy dynamics. Investors see this as supportive of total return. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Retail media product expansion: Albertsons Media Collective launched onsite incrementality measurement to help advertisers quantify retail‑media impact — could boost ad monetization and margin over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts trim price targets but keep positive ratings: UBS cut its PT to $20 (still a buy), Citi trimmed to $22 (buy), and JPMorgan lowered to $22 (overweight). The cuts reflect modeling for settlements and pharmacy pressure but maintain upside expectations. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed sell‑side/independent views on buybacks: Some analysts praise buybacks and returns; others (e.g., Seeking Alpha) argue buybacks alone don’t justify a buy given legal and pharmacy risks — keep this in mind when valuing the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: $774M opioid settlement announced: Albertsons reached a ~$774 million nationwide settlement with state, local and tribal governments — a material cash and liability overhang that likely weighs on near‑term free cash flow and sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Pharmacy headwinds persist: IRA‑driven pharmacy pressure impacted identical sales and margins; management is offsetting with digital, loyalty and cost actions, but pharmacy dynamics remain a risk to growth and margins. Read More.

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.