Royal Bank Of Canada Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Stock Price

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) had its price target lowered by equities researchers at Royal Bank Of Canada from $20.00 to $13.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada’s price target suggests a potential upside of 19.54% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings cut Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $13.00 price target (down from $22.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Friday. BMO Capital Markets lowered Albertsons Companies from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $23.00 to $12.00 in a report on Friday. UBS Group lowered their target price on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, Citigroup cut 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. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $16.92.

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

Shares of ACI traded down $0.54 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $10.90. The stock had a trading volume of 2,751,962 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,502,228. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.86. Albertsons Companies has a 12 month low of $10.88 and a 12 month high of $20.47. The company’s 50-day moving average is $14.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.34 billion, a PE ratio of 34.02, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.42.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.42 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $24.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $24.84 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.55 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. Research analysts expect that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $388,089,000. Fifth Third Bancorp raised its position in Albertsons Companies by 2,707.5% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 123,867 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,111,000 after acquiring an additional 119,455 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 14.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,330,507 shares of the company’s stock worth $675,305,000 after buying an additional 5,110,777 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Global Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,858,000. Finally, III Capital Management raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 78.9% in the fourth quarter. III Capital Management now owns 215,370 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,698,000 after buying an additional 95,000 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.35% of the company’s stock.

Key Albertsons Companies News

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.

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.