Bank of America Reaffirms Underperform Rating for Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI)

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Oct 14th, 2026

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI – Get Free Report)‘s stock had its “underperform” rating reissued by equities research analysts at Bank of America in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $12.00 price objective on the stock, down from their prior price objective of $16.00. Bank of America‘s price objective suggests a potential downside of 5.86% from the stock’s current price.

ACI has been the subject of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Albertsons Companies from $20.00 to $14.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $24.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 24th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $11.00 price objective (down from $17.00) on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d+)” rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued 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, July 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Albertsons Companies has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $14.62.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Albertsons Companies

Albertsons Companies Price Performance

NYSE ACI opened at $12.75 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 159.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.40. Albertsons Companies has a 1 year low of $10.86 and a 1 year high of $20.00. The business’s fifty day moving average is $12.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $14.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.22, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.84.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 13th. The company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $18.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $18.87 billion. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 45.59% and a net margin of 0.08%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies will post 1.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Albertsons Companies

In related news, CEO Susan Morris acquired 39,409 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $11.42 per share, with a total value of $450,050.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 1,092,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,481,557.52. This trade represents a 3.74% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Thomas M. Moriarty acquired 170,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $11.51 per share, for a total transaction of $1,962,455.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 308,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,555,968.46. This trade represents a 123.15% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders purchased 218,909 shares of company stock valued at $2,515,826 over the last three months. 1.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Albertsons Companies

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Twin Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Albertsons Companies by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Twin Capital Management Inc. now owns 43,912 shares of the company’s stock valued at $748,000 after buying an additional 721 shares in the last quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 1.5% in the first quarter. Foster & Motley Inc. now owns 61,163 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,042,000 after acquiring an additional 917 shares in the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 24.7% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,713 shares of the company’s stock worth $114,000 after acquiring an additional 1,331 shares in the last quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 4.0% in the first quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 35,691 shares of the company’s stock valued at $608,000 after acquiring an additional 1,357 shares during the period. Finally, Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in Albertsons Companies by 144.3% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 3,767 shares of the company’s stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 2,225 shares during the period. 71.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Albertsons Companies

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

Positive Sentiment: Quarterly earnings exceeded expectations. Albertsons reported adjusted earnings of $0.36 per share, above the $0.33 consensus estimate, while revenue of $18.89 billion was slightly ahead of forecasts. Albertsons second-quarter results
Positive Sentiment: A turnaround and potential strategic alternatives could unlock value. Albertsons is reviewing its cost structure, business portfolio and operating strategy, while reports indicate the company may again explore a sale. The company is also seeking roughly $8 billion from Kroger over the failed merger, although the timing and outcome are uncertain. Albertsons seeks damages from Kroger
Positive Sentiment: Leadership attention is increasing. Meg Whitman is taking charge at Albertsons as the grocer attempts to execute a more aggressive turnaround, potentially improving investor confidence in the review process. Meg Whitman takes charge at Albertsons
Neutral Sentiment: The company is emphasizing a “back-to-basics” plan. Management plans to focus on store operations, customer value, merchandising and productivity, but the benefits will depend on successful execution in a highly competitive grocery market. Albertsons turnaround strategy
Negative Sentiment: Withdrawal of fiscal 2026 guidance raises uncertainty. Albertsons suspended its full-year forecast while conducting the review, making it harder for investors to value the business and signaling that performance may be less predictable than previously expected. GAAP net income also fell to $51.5 million from $168.5 million a year earlier. Albertsons suspends forecasts
Positive Sentiment: The quarterly dividend was maintained at $0.17 per share. The annualized payout is $0.68 per share, providing income support while the turnaround proceeds.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Albertsons Companies, Inc is a U.S. food and drug retailer headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The company operates supermarkets, pharmacies and related retail businesses under banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Carrs and Haggen.

Its stores offer groceries, fresh produce, meat and seafood, bakery and deli items, household products, health and beauty products, and pharmacy services. Albertsons also provides private-label products, fuel at select locations, grocery delivery and pickup, digital shopping tools, and customer loyalty programs.

The company’s history traces to 1939, when Joe Albertson opened the first Albertsons store in Boise.