ACI

Albertsons (ACI) could beat fiscal Q1 expectations despite weak sales, but tougher competition may s

Over the past six months, Albertsons’s stock price fell to $14.56. Shareholders have lost 16.2% of their capital, which is disappointing considering the S&P 500 has climbed by 8.2%. This may have investors wondering how to approach the situation. Is there a buying opportunity in Albertsons, or does it present a risk to your portfolio? Get the full breakdown from our expert analysts, it’s free. Even though the stock has become cheaper, we’re cautious about Albertsons. Here are three reasons why ACI doesn’t excite us, plus one stock we’d rather own. A retailer’s store count often determines how much revenue it can generate. Albertsons operated 2,243 locations in the latest quarter, and over the last two years, has kept its store count flat while other consumer retail businesses have opted for growth. When a retailer keeps its store footprint steady, it usually means demand is stable and it’s focusing on operational efficiency to increase profitability. We prefer higher gross margins because they not only make it easier to generate more operating profits but also indicate product differentiation, negotiating leverage, and pricing power. Albertsons has bad unit economics for a retailer, signaling it operates in a competitive market and lacks pricing power because its inventory is sold in many places. As you can see below, it averaged a 27.5% gross margin over the last two years. That means Albertsons paid its suppliers a lot of money ($72.53 for every $100 in revenue) to run its business. Operating margin is an important measure of profitability for retailers as it accounts for all expenses necessary to run a store, including wages, inventory, rent, advertising, and other administrative costs. Albertsons’s operating margin has generally stayed the same over the last 12 months, averaging 2% over the last two years. This profitability was lousy for a consumer retail business and caused by its suboptimal cost structureand low gross margin. We cheer for all companies serving everyday consumers, but in the case of Albertsons, we’ll be cheering from the sidelines. After the recent drawdown, the stock trades at 6.7× forward P/E (or $14.56 per share). While this valuation is optically cheap, the potential downside is huge given its shaky fundamentals. There are more exciting stocks to buy at the moment. We’d recommend looking at one of Charlie Munger’s all-time favorite...

Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Albertsons (NYSE:ACI) and the best and worst performers in the grocery store industry. Grocery stores are non-discretionary because they sell food, an essential staple for life (maybe not that ice cream?). Selling food, however, is a notoriously tough business as grocers must deal with the costs of procuring and transporting oftentimes perishable products. Plus, the costs of operating stores to sell everything from raw meat to ice cream and fresh fruit are high. Competition is also fierce because grocers and other peers such as wholesale clubs tend to sell very similar brands and products. On the bright side, grocery is one of the least penetrated categories in e-commerce because customers prefer to buy their food in person. Still, the online threat exists and will likely increase over time rather than dwindle. The 4 grocery store stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7%. Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.9% on average since the latest earnings results. With over 20 well-known grocery banners spanning 34 states, Albertsons (NYSE:ACI) operates food and drug retail stores across the US, offering groceries, pharmacy services, and own-brand products under banners like Safeway, Jewel-Osco, and Vons. Albertsons reported revenues of $19.12 billion, up 1.9% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but gross margin in line with analysts’ estimates. "Fiscal 2025 was a year of disciplined execution and resilience, as we closed the year with a solid fourth quarter that delivered strong Adjusted EBITDA despite meaningful top-line pharmacy-related headwinds," said Susan Morris, CEO of Albertsons Companies. Albertsons delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Even though it had a relatively good quarter, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 15.1% since reporting and currently trades at $14.30. Is now the time to buy Albertsons? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free. Du...

Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Albertsons (NYSE:ACI) and the best and worst performers in the grocery store industry. Grocery stores are non-discretionary because they sell food, an essential staple for life (maybe not that ice cream?). Selling food, however, is a notoriously tough business as grocers must deal with the costs of procuring and transporting oftentimes perishable products. Plus, the costs of operating stores to sell everything from raw meat to ice cream and fresh fruit are high. Competition is also fierce because grocers and other peers such as wholesale clubs tend to sell very similar brands and products. On the bright side, grocery is one of the least penetrated categories in e-commerce because customers prefer to buy their food in person. Still, the online threat exists and will likely increase over time rather than dwindle. The 4 grocery store stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7%. Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 7.3% on average since the latest earnings results. With over 20 well-known grocery banners spanning 34 states, Albertsons (NYSE:ACI) operates food and drug retail stores across the US, offering groceries, pharmacy services, and own-brand products under banners like Safeway, Jewel-Osco, and Vons. Albertsons reported revenues of $19.12 billion, up 1.9% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but gross margin in line with analysts’ estimates. "Fiscal 2025 was a year of disciplined execution and resilience, as we closed the year with a solid fourth quarter that delivered strong Adjusted EBITDA despite meaningful top-line pharmacy-related headwinds," said Susan Morris, CEO of Albertsons Companies. Albertsons delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Even though it had a relatively good quarter, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 15.7% since reporting and currently trades at $14.21. Is now the time to buy Albertsons? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free. Du...

BOISE, Idaho, July 07, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) will release financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, which ended June 20, 2026, before the market opens on Thursday, July 23, 2026. Albertsons Cos. will host a conference call that day at 8:30 a.m. (EDT). The conference call will be available at the following address by accessing the "Events & Presentations" link included therein: http://albertsonscompanies.com/investors A replay of the conference call will be available for approximately two weeks following completion of the call. About Albertsons Companies Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of Feb. 28, 2026, the Company operated 2,244 retail stores with 1,713 in-store pharmacies, 405 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 22 well known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2025, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed $497 million in food and financial support, including $56 million through its Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in its communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat. Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Haggen and Balducci's Food Lovers Market are registered trademarks of Albertsons Companies Inc. or its subsidiaries. ACME, Carrs, Kings Food Markets, Shaw's and Star Market are trademarks of Albertsons Companies Inc. or its subsidiaries. Albertsons associated logos, product names and services are trademarks of Albertsons Companies, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260707705332/en/ Contacts For Investor Relations, contact [email protected] For Media Relations, contact [email protected]

Let’s dig into the relative performance of Albertsons (NYSE:ACI) and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q4 grocery store earnings season. Grocery stores are non-discretionary because they sell food, an essential staple for life (maybe not that ice cream?). Selling food, however, is a notoriously tough business as grocers must deal with the costs of procuring and transporting oftentimes perishable products. Plus, the costs of operating stores to sell everything from raw meat to ice cream and fresh fruit are high. Competition is also fierce because grocers and other peers such as wholesale clubs tend to sell very similar brands and products. On the bright side, grocery is one of the least penetrated categories in e-commerce because customers prefer to buy their food in person. Still, the online threat exists and will likely increase over time rather than dwindle. The 4 grocery store stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.7%. Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 8.6% on average since the latest earnings results. With over 20 well-known grocery banners spanning 34 states, Albertsons (NYSE:ACI) operates food and drug retail stores across the US, offering groceries, pharmacy services, and own-brand products under banners like Safeway, Jewel-Osco, and Vons. Albertsons reported revenues of $19.12 billion, up 1.9% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but gross margin in line with analysts’ estimates. "Fiscal 2025 was a year of disciplined execution and resilience, as we closed the year with a solid fourth quarter that delivered strong Adjusted EBITDA despite meaningful top-line pharmacy-related headwinds," said Susan Morris, CEO of Albertsons Companies. Albertsons delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Even though it had a relatively good quarter, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 15.9% since reporting and currently trades at $14.17. Is now the time to buy Albertsons? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free. Due to its differentiated procurement and buying approach, Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:GO) is a discount g...

The Kroger Co. KR is set to report first-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings results on June 18, before the opening bell. Investors are likely to focus on the company’s identical-sales performance, strength in e-commerce businesses and progress in driving customer traffic in a cautious consumer spending environment. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter revenues stands at $45.52 billion, indicating a 0.9% increase from the prior-year reported figure. On the earnings front, the consensus estimate has risen by a penny to $1.59 per share over the past seven days and implies a year-over-year jump of 6.7%. Kroger has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 3.6%, on average. In the last reported quarter, KR surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 6.7%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research As investors prepare for Kroger's first-quarter announcement, the question looms regarding earnings beat or miss. Our proven model predicts that an earnings beat is likely for Kroger this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat, which is the case here. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Kroger has an Earnings ESP of +0.60% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. The Kroger Co. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | The Kroger Co. Quote Kroger’s first-quarter performance is likely to have been supported by continued momentum in its core grocery business, driven by ongoing investments in value, customer experience and store execution. Management has emphasized lowering everyday prices, expanding promotional offerings and improving staffing levels in stores to enhance service and checkout experiences. These efforts appeared to be resonating with customers, as the company reported improving market-share trends and stronger food volume performance exiting the prior quarter. Kroger’s focus on delivering a compelling mix of affordability, fresh offerings and convenience is likely to have helped maintain customer traffic and basket growth during the quarter.Another likely growth driver was Kroger’s expanding digital ecosystem. The company has been benefiting from strong e-commerce momentum, supported by its evolving fulfillment strategy and partnerships with...

Mama's Creations, Inc. MAMA is likely to witness top-line growth when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings on June 8, 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $51.8 million, indicating an increase of 46.9% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.The consensus mark for earnings has remained unchanged over the past 30 days at 3 cents a share, which is in line with the year-ago period. MAMA has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 125%, on average. Mama's Creations, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Mama's Creations, Inc. Quote Mama’s Creations is likely to have benefited from continued distribution gains and deeper penetration across key retail accounts in the first quarter of fiscal 2027. The company entered the quarter with recent placement wins at major national retailers, including Walmart, Target and Food Lion, while management remained focused on expanding products carried by existing customers. Growing shelf presence, broader geographic reach and increasing branded placements are expected to have supported sales momentum.Another key driver is expected to be the ongoing integration of the Crown 1 acquisition. Management has highlighted progress in centralizing procurement and logistics, optimizing production across its manufacturing network and realizing operational synergies. Cross-selling opportunities between MAMA’s legacy customer base and Crown 1’s premium accounts have also started to gain traction, creating additional avenues for growth. These efforts support the company’s strategy of becoming a one-stop-shop provider of fresh prepared foods.Mama’s Creations is also benefiting from favorable consumer trends, with shoppers increasingly seeking fresh, convenient and protein-focused meal solutions. Product innovation, including new prepared-food offerings and No Antibiotics Ever chicken products, along with expanded marketing and promotional initiatives, is likely to have supported customer acquisition and product velocities.On the downside, the quarter may have been affected by inflationary pressures in key commodity and freight markets. Although management has implemented pricing actions, commodity contracts and operational initiatives to offset these headwinds, cost inflation and ongoing optimization efforts related to the Crown 1 integration may have created some near-term pressure on profitabili...

The Campbell's Company CPB is likely to witness a top and bottom-line decline when it reports third-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings on June 8. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $2.39 billion, indicating a decrease of 3.6% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure. The consensus mark for earnings has fallen by a penny over the past 30 days to 48 cents a share, which suggests a decline of 34.3% from the figure reported in the year-ago period. CPB has a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of about 4%, on average. The Campbell's Company price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | The Campbell's Company Quote Campbell’s third-quarter performance is likely to have remained under pressure, reflecting continued weakness in its Snacks business. During the second-quarter earnings discussion, management highlighted challenged demand trends across the segment, particularly in chips and pretzels, where increased competitive activity and share pressures weighed on performance.The company has been focused on restoring competitiveness through sharper value offerings, promotional support and improved in-market execution. However, management indicated that the Snacks recovery would take time, suggesting that category headwinds and competitive pressures likely continued to weigh on volumes and sales during the quarter. Our model suggests a 4.8% volume decline and a 3.9% revenue decline for the Snacks segment for the third quarter. Another factor likely to hurt third-quarter results is the continued disruption within the Fresh Bakery business. On its last earnings call, management noted that manufacturing and distribution execution challenges had emerged before the winter storms and were expected to remain a third-quarter headwind as the company worked to improve service levels and on-shelf availability. Management also indicated that certain promotional activities would be scaled back while operational improvements were implemented, with normalization not anticipated until the fourth quarter. Execution challenges and reduced promotional support may have constrained sales and profitability in the reported quarter. Margin performance is also likely to have remained pressured. Campbell’s continues to face cost inflation, tariff-related expenses and broader supply-chain cost headwinds, which weighed on profitability in the first half of fiscal 2026. Man...

The market for Albertsons Companies, Inc.'s (NYSE:ACI) shares didn't move much after it posted weak earnings recently. We did some digging, and we believe the earnings are stronger than they seem. Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit. Importantly, our data indicates that Albertsons Companies' profit was reduced by US$1.0b, due to unusual items, over the last year. While deductions due to unusual items are disappointing in the first instance, there is a silver lining. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And that's hardly a surprise given these line items are considered unusual. In the twelve months to February 2026, Albertsons Companies had a big unusual items expense. As a result, we can surmise that the unusual items made its statutory profit significantly weaker than it would otherwise be. That might leave you wondering what analysts are forecasting in terms of future profitability. Luckily, you can click here to see an interactive graph depicting future profitability, based on their estimates. As we discussed above, we think the significant unusual expense will make Albertsons Companies' statutory profit lower than it would otherwise have been. Because of this, we think Albertsons Companies' underlying earnings potential is as good as, or possibly even better, than the statutory profit makes it seem! Unfortunately, though, its earnings per share actually fell back over the last year. At the end of the day, it's essential to consider more than just the factors above, if you want to understand the company properly. So if you'd like to dive deeper into this stock, it's crucial to consider any risks it's facing. In terms of investment risks, we've identified 5 warning signs with Albertsons Companies, and understanding these should be part of your investment process. This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Albertsons Companies' profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. For example, many people consider a high return on equity as an indication of favorable business economics, while others like to 'follow the money' and search out stocks that insiders are buying. While it might take a little research on your beha...

With Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. SFM set to announce its first-quarter 2026 earnings results on April 29, after the market closes, investors are faced with a critical question: Can SFM continue its streak of surprising results, or will challenges in the grocery sector temper growth? The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter revenues stands at $2,326 million, indicating a 4% increase from the prior-year reported figure. On the earnings front, the consensus estimate has been stable at $1.67 per share over the past 30 days, implying a year-over-year decline of 7.7%. Sprouts Farmers has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 8.7%, on average. In the last reported quarter, this Phoenix, AZ-based company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.4%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research As investors prepare for Sprouts Farmers’ first-quarter results, the question looms regarding earnings beat or miss. Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Sprouts Farmers this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. However, that’s not the case here. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Sprouts Farmers has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. Quote Sprouts Farmers’ first-quarter performance is likely to have benefited from the continued strength of its differentiated product assortment and focus on health-oriented offerings. The company has consistently leaned into innovation, introducing new products and expanding its private-label portfolio, which has resonated well with its target customer base. This emphasis on unique, attribute-driven products and emerging wellness trends has helped reinforce customer loyalty and supported steady demand, particularly among health-conscious shoppers. Another key tailwind has been the company’s ongoing store expansion and solid performance of new locations. Sprouts Farmers has maintained a steady pace of openings, with newer stores delivering strong productivity and reinforcing its long-term growth strategy. This expansion, combined with a growing geographic fo...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET Interim Chief Executive Officer — Susan Morris President and Chief Financial Officer — Sharon McCollam Susan Morris: Thanks, Cody. Good morning, everyone, and thanks for joining us today. In the fourth quarter, our teams led with operational agility and strong execution. Despite greater-than-expected pharmacy headwinds, identical sales increased 0.7%, while our resilient operating model and ongoing productivity drove better-than-expected adjusted EBITDA of $903 million. For the full year, we delivered results in line with our expectations, while investing in capabilities that strengthened our business, further positioning us for long-term growth. Also during fiscal '25, we returned more than $1.8 billion to shareholders through share repurchase and dividends, underscoring our commitment to shareholder returns and disciplined capital allocation. Throughout 2025, our teams leaned into a new day, executing with focus amidst a volatile and uncertain macro environment. The results we delivered validate the effectiveness of our investments, the progress we're making across the business and the strength of the foundation that we have built. As we enter 2026, we do so with confidence as reflected in today's outlook. This confidence is further reinforced by our announcement this morning to increase our quarterly dividend by 13% and refresh our existing share repurchase authorization to $2 billion. But before we talk more about the fourth quarter and 2026, I want to step back and talk about how we see the future of Albertsons and how we're positioning the company to win in a competitive value-focused grocery environment that requires differentiation. At the core of our strategy is a clear conviction. The future of grocery is personal, and true personalization is a durable competitive advantage. Our mission is to become the most-loved grocer in the neighborhoods we serve by transforming routine transactions into differentiated customer connections and experiences that deepen engagement. It's not a reinvention of who we are, it's a deliberate build on strengths that already differentiate us and give us the right to win. We have one of the strongest store networks in the country. In our markets, our stores are within 15 minutes of approximately 120 million people, giving us a structural advantage in t...