Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Hold": Seventeen analysts cover Albertsons with a consensus rating of Hold (2 sell, 5 hold, 10 buy) and an average 12-month target price of $21.31.
• Recent results showed a $0.48 EPS beat versus $0.43 estimates while revenue of $20.25B slightly missed $20.49B, and management set FY2026 guidance of 2.220–2.320 EPS versus analysts' 2.11 forecast.
• Dividend increase to $0.17 quarterly (annualized $0.68, ~4.2% yield) comes with a high payout ratio of 212.5%, and the stock trades around $16.14—near its 52-week low of $15.80 and well below its $22.78 high.

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Hold" from the seventeen analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $21.3077.

Several analysts have issued reports on ACI shares. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Citigroup decreased their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $26.00 to $22.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. They issued a "hold" rating for the company. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group decreased their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

ACI opened at $16.14 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58. The firm has a market cap of $7.98 billion, a PE ratio of 50.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.43. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $17.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $17.51. Albertsons Companies has a fifty-two week low of $15.80 and a fifty-two week high of $22.78.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 42.75% and a net margin of 0.26%.The company had revenue of $20.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.46 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies's revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 24th will be issued a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 24th. This is an increase from Albertsons Companies's previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. Albertsons Companies's dividend payout ratio is currently 212.50%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in Albertsons Companies by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Mason Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 79,188 shares of the company's stock worth $1,387,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares during the period. Okabena Investment Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Okabena Investment Services Inc. now owns 63,122 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,105,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 32.9% in the 3rd quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 2,524 shares of the company's stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 625 shares during the period. Twin Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 1.7% in the first quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 43,912 shares of the company's stock worth $748,000 after purchasing an additional 721 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its holdings in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 723 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.