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

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its target price cut by analysts at UBS Group from $23.00 to $20.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 22.21% from the company’s previous close.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $21.00 price target on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Telsey Advisory Group lowered their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Evercore lowered their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $20.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.31.

Albertsons Companies Stock Down 1.4%

ACI stock opened at $16.37 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $17.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $17.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.41 billion, a PE ratio of 51.14, a P/E/G ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 0.45. Albertsons Companies has a 12 month low of $15.80 and a 12 month high of $22.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.20.

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

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of ACI. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 109.5% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,542,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,919,000 after acquiring an additional 806,336 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the first quarter worth approximately $1,090,000. M&T Bank Corp boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 21.4% during the second quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 14,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $308,000 after acquiring an additional 2,528 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 39.3% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 504,944 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,861,000 after acquiring an additional 142,457 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 5.4% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 723 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Albertsons Companies News Roundup

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.