JPMorgan Chase & Co. Has Lowered Expectations for Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock Price

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its price objective lowered by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $23.00 to $22.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price suggests a potential upside of 34.43% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other analysts also recently weighed in on ACI. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, December 29th. Evercore decreased their price target on Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $21.31.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Shares of Albertsons Companies stock opened at $16.37 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $17.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $17.58. Albertsons Companies has a 1-year low of $15.80 and a 1-year high of $22.78. The company has a market cap of $8.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 51.14, a PEG ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 0.45.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 42.75% and a net margin of 0.26%.The firm had revenue of $20.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $20.49 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.46 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% in the 4th 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. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 130.4% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,461 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 827 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 185.1% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 1,057 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 91.2% during the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 172.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Albertsons Companies

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.