Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Price Target Lowered to $12.00 at Barclays

Key Points

• Barclays cut its price target on Albertsons Companies to $12 from $17 and kept an underweight rating, signaling a more cautious view on the stock.
• Albertsons shares fell 4.7% to $10.90, near their 52-week low, as the company faced broader analyst skepticism and an average Street rating of Hold.
• The latest earnings update showed pressure on profitability: Q1 EPS of $0.42 missed estimates, and the company lowered its FY2026 EPS guidance to $1.75-$1.85.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) had its price target lowered by stock analysts at Barclays from $17.00 to $12.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "underweight" rating on the stock. Barclays's target price would indicate a potential upside of 10.04% from the company's current price.

ACI has been the subject of several other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $20.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $13.00 target price (down from $22.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Friday. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price target on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $13.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Albertsons Companies from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $16.92.

Albertsons Companies Trading Down 4.7%

ACI traded down $0.54 during trading on Friday, hitting $10.90. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,751,962 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,502,228. Albertsons Companies has a twelve month low of $10.88 and a twelve month high of $20.47. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $14.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $16.39. 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 capitalization of $5.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.02, a PEG ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.42.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.84 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.55 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies's revenue was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies will post 2.11 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ACI. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 730 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. boosted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% in the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 885 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Albertsons Companies by 172.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,306 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 64.5% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,799 shares of the company's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 1,097 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 44.2% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,412 shares of the company's stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 1,353 shares in the last quarter. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Albertsons Companies News Roundup

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.

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.

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