Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) CEO Susan Morris Acquires 39,409 Shares of Stock

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) CEO Susan Morris acquired 39,409 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $11.42 per share, with a total value of $450,050.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,092,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $12,481,557.52. This trade represents a 3.74% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of NYSE ACI opened at $11.60 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.68 billion, a PE ratio of 144.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $10.86 and a twelve month high of $20.02. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $14.42 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.21.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by ($0.12). Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 0.08% and a return on equity of 45.59%. The firm had revenue of $24.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.84 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.55 EPS. The business’s 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 forecast that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 1.64 EPS for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Investors of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.9%. Albertsons Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 850.00%.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 14.0% in the second quarter. E. Ohman J or Asset Management AB now owns 2,321,294 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,407,000 after acquiring an additional 285,280 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 58.3% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 10,233 shares of the company’s stock valued at $138,000 after acquiring an additional 3,768 shares in the last quarter. Value Investment Professionals LLC increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 21.8% during the second quarter. Value Investment Professionals LLC now owns 66,006 shares of the company’s stock valued at $893,000 after acquiring an additional 11,816 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 2,406.4% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 5,113 shares of the company’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 4,909 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 121.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 42,274 shares of the company’s stock worth $720,000 after purchasing an additional 23,227 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Albertsons Companies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Insiders purchased shares following the sell-off. CEO Susan Morris bought 39,409 shares for approximately $450,000, while EVP Thomas Moriarty purchased 170,500 shares for about $2.0 million. These transactions may signal management’s confidence that the stock is undervalued. Albertsons insider buying report
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS reaffirmed its Neutral rating. The unchanged stance suggests the brokerage sees limited near-term catalysts despite the stock’s lower valuation. UBS reaffirms Neutral rating for Albertsons
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer-term initiatives could support recovery. Albertsons is investing in AI, digital sales, personalization and its 51.2 million-member loyalty program. The ACI Edge program is also intended to improve efficiency, but investors remain focused on whether these efforts can translate into stronger earnings.
• Negative Sentiment: Albertsons missed quarterly earnings expectations. Adjusted EPS was $0.42 versus the $0.54 consensus estimate, while revenue of $24.94 billion was only slightly above forecasts and rose just 0.2% year over year. Management reduced fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $1.75–$1.85 from $2.22–$2.32, intensifying concerns about margins and operating performance.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are becoming more cautious. Zacks Research downgraded ACI to “Strong Sell,” while UBS previously cut its rating from Buy to Hold and reduced its target to $12. Other analysts also lowered price targets after the guidance reset, reinforcing the view that a recovery may take time. Zacks Albertsons rating
• Negative Sentiment: Investor-law-firm investigations add risk. Levi & Korsinsky announced an investigation into potential securities claims related to Albertsons’ prior sales and earnings guidance. The inquiry does not establish wrongdoing, but it adds legal and reputational uncertainty after the sharp outlook reduction. Levi and Korsinsky Albertsons investigation

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ACI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $11.00 price target (down from $17.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $13.00 target price (down from $22.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $18.00 to $11.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $15.31.

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.