Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 1.750-1.850 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.140. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on ACI shares. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 29th. UBS Group decreased their target price on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $23.00 to $12.00 in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $18.00 to $11.00 in a research report on Thursday. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $18.00.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 21.9%

Shares of Albertsons Companies stock opened at $11.40 on Friday. Albertsons Companies has a 12-month low of $11.02 and a 12-month high of $20.81. The company has a market capitalization of $5.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.42. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $14.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.54 by ($0.12). Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.26% and a return on equity of 42.75%. The firm had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.84 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.55 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be issued a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is currently 212.50%.

Albertsons Companies News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Albertsons said revenue came in slightly ahead of expectations and highlighted strength in digital and pharmacy growth, which suggests some parts of the business are still performing well.
• Neutral Sentiment: The company launched its new ACI Edge operating model and announced a regional structure change, aimed at improving efficiency and supporting longer-term margins.
• Neutral Sentiment: President and CFO Sharon McCollam announced plans to retire later this year, adding a leadership transition while the company works through its turnaround effort.
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons reported Q1 EPS of $0.42, below the $0.54 consensus estimate, reinforcing concerns that profitability is under pressure.
• Negative Sentiment: The company lowered its fiscal 2026 outlook, with EPS guidance of $1.75 to $1.85 versus a much higher analyst forecast, and also cut its sales outlook as shoppers tighten grocery spending.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts turned more cautious after the release: Wells Fargo downgraded the stock to equal weight with a lower price target, and Telsey Advisory Group cut its target to $13 from $22 while keeping a market perform rating.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 109.5% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,542,468 shares of the company’s stock worth $33,919,000 after purchasing an additional 806,336 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the first quarter valued at approximately $1,090,000. M&T Bank Corp raised its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 21.4% during the second quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 14,364 shares of the company’s stock valued at $308,000 after purchasing an additional 2,528 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP lifted 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 valued at $10,861,000 after purchasing an additional 142,457 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 5.4% in the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 14,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $302,000 after purchasing an additional 723 shares during the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.