Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Price Target Lowered to $22.00 at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan cut its price target on Albertsons to $22 (from $23) but kept an overweight rating, implying roughly a 31% upside; MarketBeat’s consensus target is about $21.50 with mixed analyst recommendations.
• Albertsons beat Q4 EPS expectations ($0.48 vs. $0.43), raised FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $2.22–$2.32, and boosted its dividend by 13% while resetting a $2 billion buyback.
• Those positives are tempered by a roughly $774M opioid settlement charge that widened GAAP losses and a Q4 revenue miss plus management forecasting annual sales below Street estimates, signaling top‑line pressure.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) had its target price dropped by equities researchers at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $23.00 to $22.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "overweight" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price objective would suggest a potential upside of 31.07% from the stock's previous close.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Thursday, January 8th. They set a "hold" rating on the stock. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $21.50.

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 2.7%

NYSE:ACI traded up $0.45 on Wednesday, reaching $16.79. The stock had a trading volume of 5,404,058 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,409,461. The company has a market cap of $8.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.80, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.36, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The firm's fifty day moving average is $17.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $17.59. Albertsons Companies has a 12-month low of $15.80 and a 12-month high of $22.78.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 14th. The company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $20.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.49 billion. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.06% and a return on equity of 38.00%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.220-2.320 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Albertsons Companies

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,492,000. Towle & Co. grew its position in Albertsons Companies by 674.2% in the third quarter. Towle & Co. now owns 339,227 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,940,000 after acquiring an additional 295,413 shares in the last quarter. AGF Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies in the third quarter valued at approximately $2,955,000. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,307,000. Finally, Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 261.1% during the 3rd quarter. Savoir Faire Capital Management L.P. now owns 375,653 shares of the company's stock valued at $6,578,000 after buying an additional 271,620 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.35% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Albertsons Companies

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results: Albertsons beat EPS expectations with $0.48 vs. $0.43 consensus, driven by margin recovery and strength in digital and loyalty programs — a near-term earnings positive. Albertsons Beats on Q4 Earnings Despite IRA Pharmacy Headwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Raised FY2026 EPS guidance to $2.22–$2.32, above street estimates — suggests management sees better underlying profitability for the year. Albertsons forecasts 2.22-2.32 adjusted EPS in fiscal 2026 while raising dividend 13% and resetting $2B buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns: Board raised the quarterly dividend 13% to $0.17 and reset a $2B buyback — increases cash-return signal and supports yield-focused investors. Albertsons® Companies Announces 13% Increase in Common Stock Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary: Several analysts and pieces highlight Albertsons as deeply valued and point to private-label, data and digital initiatives as durable long-term advantages — supportive but qualitative. Albertsons—Is It the Best Buy in the Grocery Aisle? Albertsons: Private Labels And Data Drive The Long-Term Edge Despite Opioid Headwinds
• Neutral Sentiment: Trading flow: Unusual options activity (large call buying) suggests some traders are speculating on further upside or volatility ahead; not a fundamentals signal by itself. Unusual options trading activity
• Negative Sentiment: Opioid settlement: Albertsons reached a $774M national settlement framework to resolve substantially all opioid claims — this produced a large charge that widened the Q4 GAAP loss and is a near-term cash/legal headwind. Albertsons Reaches $774 Million Opioid Settlement with State, Local and Tribal Governments
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue & sales outlook: Q4 revenue ($20.25B) missed some estimates and management forecasted annual sales below Wall Street expectations, highlighting competitive price pressure — a top-line risk for growth. Grocer Albertsons forecasts annual sales below estimates
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP loss headlines: Media coverage notes the opioid charge widened GAAP loss, which temporarily overshadows the dividend/buyback news and may pressure sentiment despite underlying operating beats. Albertsons's opioid settlement widens Q4 GAAP loss, overshadows dividend, share repurchase hike

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.

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