Telsey Advisory Group Cuts Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Price Target to $22.00

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its target price trimmed by Telsey Advisory Group from $24.00 to $22.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other analysts have also weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $24.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $25.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on shares of 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 research note on Thursday, October 30th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $23.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $22.85.

Albertsons Companies Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE ACI opened at $16.67 on Thursday. Albertsons Companies has a 1 year low of $15.80 and a 1 year high of $23.20. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $17.51 and its 200 day moving average price is $18.72. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.91. The firm 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.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $19.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.18 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.06% and a return on equity of 38.00%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.71 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.25, for a total value of $4,427,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 300,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,786,107.25. The trade was a 43.35% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 338,429 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,548,601.15. This represents a 22.81% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.35% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Peddock Capital Advisors LLC increased 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 stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 0.7% in the 2nd 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 during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 592 shares in the last quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.0% in the third quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. now owns 63,122 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,105,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Verdence Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 83,260 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,791,000 after acquiring an additional 623 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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: 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

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.