Sei Investments Co. Boosts Stock Holdings in Albertsons Companies, Inc. $ACI

Key Points

• Sei Investments increased its Albertsons stake by 7.6% in the first quarter, adding 91,804 shares to hold 1.30 million shares worth approximately $22.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 71.35% of the company.
• Albertsons’ latest results fell short of expectations: quarterly EPS was $0.42 versus the $0.54 consensus, and management lowered its fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $1.75–$1.85. High leverage and a very thin net margin remain concerns.
• Analyst sentiment is cautious. Multiple firms recently cut their price targets, leaving the stock with a consensus “Hold” rating and a $15.31 target, while executive Thomas M. Moriarty purchased 170,500 shares at an average price of $11.51.

Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI - Free Report) by 7.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,297,318 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 91,804 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. owned approximately 0.26% of Albertsons Companies worth $22,106,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 730 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. grew its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% during the fourth quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 885 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 172.8% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,097 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 148.0% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,431 shares of the company's stock worth $76,000 after buying an additional 2,644 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.35% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Albertsons Companies

In other Albertsons Companies news, EVP Thomas M. Moriarty bought 170,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $11.51 per share, with a total value of $1,962,455.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president owned 308,946 shares in the company, valued at $3,555,968.46. This represents a 123.15% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.18% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

ACI has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays cut their price target on Albertsons Companies from $17.00 to $12.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 24th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Albertsons Companies from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Albertsons Companies from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and cut their target price for the company from $18.00 to $11.00 in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped 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 note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and issued a $13.00 price target (down from $22.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Friday, July 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Albertsons Companies currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $15.31.

Albertsons Companies News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: ACI Edge could generate $200 million in savings. Albertsons’ technology and operating initiative is expected to improve efficiency and reduce costs, offering a potential earnings benefit if successfully implemented. Albertsons’ ACI Edge will produce $200M in savings
• Positive Sentiment: Options activity indicates some speculative interest. Traders purchased 4,588 ACI call options Monday, approximately 41% above typical call volume. This may reflect expectations for a rebound, although options activity alone does not establish a fundamental improvement.
• Neutral Sentiment: Albertsons is advancing its ACI Edge operating model. The company announced a new regional structure and its Merch United initiative, which could support better execution and merchandising over time. Albertsons advances ACI Edge with new regional operating model
• Negative Sentiment: UBS cut its ACI price target to $12 from $20 while maintaining a Neutral rating. The sharply lower target signals reduced confidence in Albertsons’ near-term recovery and leaves limited implied upside. UBS rating update
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup also maintained Neutral but lowered its target to $11 from $17. Citi said additional fixes are needed, reinforcing concerns about execution and profitability. Citi downgrades Albertsons to Neutral
• Negative Sentiment: The core catalyst remains Albertsons’ earnings miss and reduced fiscal 2026 outlook. Quarterly EPS came in below expectations, and management lowered its full-year adjusted EPS guidance amid consumer weakness. The company’s high leverage and very thin net margin add to investor concerns.
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced investigations into Albertsons. The inquiries focus on whether investors were misled regarding fiscal 2026 sales and earnings guidance after the disappointing results and outlook reduction. These notices add legal and reputational risk, though they do not represent proven wrongdoing. Albertsons investigation notice

Albertsons Companies Trading Up 2.3%

ACI stock opened at $11.63 on Wednesday. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $10.86 and a twelve month high of $20.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 145.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.52 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. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $14.61 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.28.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI - Get Free Report) last released 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). The firm had revenue of $24.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $24.84 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 45.59% and a net margin of 0.08%.Albertsons Companies's revenue for the quarter was up .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.55 earnings per share. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.750-1.850 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be given a dividend of $0.17 per share. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. Albertsons Companies's payout ratio is 850.00%.

Albertsons Companies 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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