Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) Given New $23.00 Price Target at UBS Group
by Doug Wharley · The Cerbat GemAlbertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI – Get Free Report) had its price target decreased by UBS Group from $25.00 to $23.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. UBS Group’s price objective points to a potential upside of 38.43% from the company’s previous close.
Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, December 29th. 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 research report on Thursday. Tigress Financial lifted their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $22.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 15th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $22.92.
Albertsons Companies Stock Up 3.3%
ACI stock traded up $0.53 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $16.62. The stock had a trading volume of 6,419,582 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,146,965. The business has a 50-day moving average of $17.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.25, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market cap of $9.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 0.48. Albertsons Companies has a 52-week low of $15.80 and a 52-week high of $23.20.
Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.67 by $0.05. Albertsons Companies had a net margin of 1.20% and a return on equity of 36.39%. The firm had revenue of $19.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $19.18 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.71 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. Albertsons Companies has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.080-2.16 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 2.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Insider Transactions at Albertsons Companies
In other Albertsons Companies news, EVP Michael T. Theilmann sold 100,000 shares of Albertsons Companies stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.35, for a total transaction of $1,935,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 338,429 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,548,601.15. The trade was a 22.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Anuj Dhanda sold 230,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.25, for a total transaction of $4,427,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 300,577 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,786,107.25. The trade was a 43.35% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.35% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies
Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 130.4% during the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 1,461 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 827 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 185.1% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 1,057 shares in the last quarter. West Oak Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Albertsons Companies during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 98.4% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,702 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 844 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sound Income Strategies LLC acquired a new stake in Albertsons Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 71.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Headlines Impacting Albertsons Companies
Here are the key news stories impacting Albertsons Companies this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q3 results beat on EPS (reported $0.72 vs. $0.67 est.) and management raised FY2025 EPS guidance to $2.08–$2.16, which supports upside to estimates and underpins the stock’s gains. Business Wire: Q3 Results
- Positive Sentiment: Board declared a $0.15 quarterly dividend (ex‑div Jan. 23), supporting yield-focused investors and income demand for the stock. Business Wire: Dividend
- Positive Sentiment: Early results from its AI shopping assistant show a ~10% increase in basket size, highlighting digital/loyalty monetization upside and supporting the company’s retail‑media/tech transformation thesis. PYMNTS: AI Shopping Assistant
- Neutral Sentiment: Deutsche Bank initiated coverage with a “hold” rating — a neutral signal that may limit near‑term momentum until clearer catalysts emerge.
- Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary frames ACI as a deep‑value, yield play with institutional accumulation and retail‑media upside; that supports longer‑term constructive views even as price action is weak. MarketBeat: Deep Value Piece
- Negative Sentiment: Albertsons narrowed its full‑year outlook and flagged tepid annual sales/profit pressure from lower Medicare drug pricing and SNAP program impacts — a direct headwind to revenue and margin expectations. MSN: Guidance/Narrowing Forecast
- Negative Sentiment: Several analysts trimmed price targets (Barclays to $17/underweight; Wells Fargo, BMO, Telsey trimmed PTs but kept bullish ratings), creating mixed sell pressure and headline risk despite some firms remaining constructive. Benzinga: PT Changes
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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