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Albertsons lowered its fiscal 2026 sales and earnings outlook Thursday after weaker grocery demand and a more cautious consumer weighed on its first-quarter performance.
The grocery chain now expects identical sales to decline between 0.5% and 1.5% for the full fiscal year, compared with its previous forecast of flat sales to 1% growth.
Albertsons also cut its adjusted earnings forecast to between $1.75 and $1.85 per share, down from its prior range of $2.22 to $2.32. Adjusted EBITDA is now expected to range from $3.55 billion to $3.625 billion, compared with its earlier forecast of $3.85 billion to $3.925 billion.
Identical sales fell 0.8% during the quarter ended June 20, while net sales and other revenue edged up 0.2% to $24.94 billion, helped by higher fuel sales. Digital sales increased 13%, although the company said its core grocery business faced mounting pressure from softer industry unit trends.
MAJOR GROCERY CHAIN BEATS WALMART, ALDI IN PRICE WAR AS SHOPPERS HUNT FOR CHECKOUT RELIEF
The grocery chain now expects identical sales to decline between 0.5% and 1.5% for the full fiscal year. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
"In the first quarter, our digital and pharmacy businesses continued to deliver strong growth, while core grocery faced increasing pressure from softer industry unit trends and a more cautious consumer," CEO Susan Morris said in the company’s earnings release.
Albertsons said it is accelerating investments aimed at strengthening its customer value proposition and improving the shopping experience before anticipated productivity benefits take hold.
"We are choosing to accelerate investments in our customer value proposition and the customer experience ahead of expected productivity benefits because we believe these actions will improve our growth trajectory, strengthen our competitive position, and create long-term shareholder value," Morris said.
Ticker Security Last Change Change % ACI ALBERTSONS COS INC 10.93 -0.35 -3.06% As part of that effort, Albertsons announced an operating realignment called ACI Edge. The company consolidated its 11 divisions into four regions and placed center-store merchandising under a single enterprise team.
Albertsons said the restructuring is intended to accelerate decision-making, improve local execution and bring category management, supplier relationships and merchandising strategy under a more centralized structure.
First-quarter net income fell to $84.7 million, or 17 cents per share, from $236.4 million, or 41 cents per share, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings declined to 42 cents per share from 55 cents.
Albertsons also announced an operating realignment called ACI Edge. (Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Gross margin narrowed to 26.6% from 27.1%. Albertsons attributed some of the pressure to higher delivery and handling expenses associated with digital growth, along with higher fuel costs.
Separately, Albertsons said Chief Financial Officer Sharon McCollam plans to retire later this year. McCollam will remain in her current role until a successor is named and will then serve in an advisory capacity through Feb. 27, 2027, to assist with the transition.
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Albertsons operated 2,240 stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia as of June 20.
Albertsons Companies experienced a sharp share price drop after Q1 2026 results showed revenue growth but significant margin contraction and declining identical sales. Despite lowered guidance and ongoing margin pressures, ACI remains highly cash generative, with moderate leverage compared to peers and an extremely cheap valuation. Management is accelerating transformation via the ACI Edge initiative, centralizing operations and investing in cost-cutting and technology to restore profitability.
Grocery chain Albertsons is predicting slightly weaker sales amid more cautious lower-income consumer spending.
The company on Thursday (July 23) released earnings showing the company lowering its guidance for the fiscal year, projecting decreases of 1.5% to 0.5%, compared to an earlier forecast of flat sales to a 1% increase. CEO Susan Morris said this is happening as shoppers switch to private label products.
“We’re seeing a shift to value packaging, trade-downs,” she said during an earnings call. “I think we’ve talked about this before in certain commodities, and again, it’s a very bifurcated situation. Lower-income customers are shifting more to cheaper proteins, as an example.”
Higher-income shoppers, meanwhile, appear more resilient, though the company is also dealing with higher supplier prices.
Research by PYMNTS Intelligence shows that while many consumers are feeling economic pressure, they aren’t always ready to cut back.
Eighty-three percent of consumers surveyed by PYMNTS say that everyday prices increased, while close two-thirds said external forces were affecting the U.S. economy a great deal or a lot.
In addition, 58% said they expect larger economic forces to impact their personal finances over the next six months, though only 38% planned to cut spending in the next three months.
“At first glance, those numbers seem difficult to reconcile. If consumers remain worried about prices and the economy, why aren’t more preparing to cut back?” PYMNTS wrote.
“The answer may be that households are not making spending decisions according to the categories used by economists, merchants or card issuers. They are making them according to their own priorities.”
Meanwhile, Albertsons said its digital efforts and loyalty programs remain important factors in driving growth and customer engagement, with digital sales up 13% for the quarter with penetration climbing to nearly 10.5%.
“Our loyalty ecosystem continues to scale personalization and we’re seeing clear behavioral benefits,” Morris said. “Engaged members shop more frequently and with higher average baskets than non-members, contributing meaningfully to both sales growth and customer lifetime value. Execution remains strong across our fulfillment network again this quarter.”
The fastest growing segment of the company’s digital business is still its flash delivery service, the CEO said, with Albertsons’ eCommerce unit profitable during the first quarter.
“This milestone demonstrates that we are successfully growing digital sales while improving the underlying economics of the platform and creating a business that can generate profitable growth over time,” Morris added.
Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) Q1 2027 Earnings Call July 23, 2026 8:30 AM EDT
Company Participants
Cody Perdue - Senior Vice President of Treasury, Investor Relations and Risk Management
Susan Morris - CEO & Director
Sharon McCollam - President & CFO
Conference Call Participants
Edward Kelly - Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Research Division
Mark Carden - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
John Heinbockel - Guggenheim Securities, LLC, Research Division
Thomas Palmer - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division
Leah Jordan - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., Research Division
Erica Eiler - Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., Research Division
Paul Lejuez - Citigroup Inc., Research Division
Simeon Gutman - Morgan Stanley, Research Division
Robert Ohmes - BofA Securities, Research Division
Presentation
Operator
Welcome to Albertsons Company's First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] This call is being recorded. I would like to hand the call over to Cody Perdue, Senior Vice President, Treasury, Investor Relations and Risk Management. Please go ahead.
Cody Perdue
Senior Vice President of Treasury, Investor Relations and Risk Management
Good morning, and thank you for joining us. With me today are Susan Morris, our CEO; and Sharon McCollam, our President and CFO. Today, Susan will provide an overview of our first quarter results and perspective on the current operating environment, including the actions we are taking to improve execution, strengthen our customer value proposition and position the business for stronger long-term performance. Sharon will then cover our financial results and updated outlook before we open the call for Q&A.
I would like to remind you that management may make forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal Securities Laws. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations and projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the factors identified in our filings with the SEC. Any
Key Takeaways Albertsons posted a 0.8% identical sales decline as digital sales increased 13% in the first quarter.ACI launched ACI Edge, reorganizing operations to speed decisions and improve accountability.Albertsons cut its fiscal 2026 sales, EBITDA and earnings outlook amid softer demand and cautious consumers. Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, wherein adjusted earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate while revenues surpassed the same. On a year-over-year basis, revenues increased marginally, whereas adjusted earnings declined. The company also lowered its fiscal 2026 outlook.
Digital and pharmacy businesses continued to deliver strong growth during the fiscal first quarter, while core grocery faced increasing pressure from softer industry unit trends and a more cautious consumer. In response, the company announced ACI Edge, an operating structure realignment designed to accelerate execution, increase accountability and better leverage its scale, technology and local market expertise.
As part of ACI Edge, Albertsons is transitioning from 11 divisions to four regions and centralizing center-store merchandising to strengthen accountability, accelerate decision-making and improve consistency across banners and regions. Management stated that these actions are intended to deliver sharper value, greater differentiation in fresh and an enhanced customer experience while creating long-term value for customers and shareholders.
Albertsons’ Quarterly Performance: Key InsightsACI posted adjusted quarterly earnings of 42 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 55 cents. The bottom line declined from 55 cents reported in the prior-year quarter.
Net sales and other revenues increased 0.2% year over year to $24,941.6 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $24,815 million. Growth was supported by higher fuel sales, while identical sales declined 0.8%. Pharmacy sales remained resilient despite headwinds from the Inflation Reduction Act and digital sales rose 13% in the fiscal first quarter.
Insight Into ACI's Q1 Margins & ExpensesGross profit declined 1.5% year over year to $6.64 billion. However, the gross margin for the quarter under review contracted 50 basis points (bps) year over year to 26.6% from 27.1% in the first quarter of fiscal 2025.
Excluding the impacts of fuel and LIFO expense, gross margin decreased 23 bps from the prior-year period. The decline was primarily caused by higher delivery and handling costs associated with continued digital sales growth, as well as higher fuel costs. These impacts were partially offset by improvements in pharmacy margins, primarily related to the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act. The company continued to invest in its customer value proposition, supported by productivity initiatives.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, selling and administrative expenses increased 0.9% year over year to $6.38 billion. As a percentage of net sales and other revenues, these expenses rose 20 basis points to 25.6%.
Excluding the impact of fuel, selling and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales and other revenues rose 42 basis points year over year. The increase reflected higher rent and occupancy costs, merger-related litigation expenses, business transformation costs, and depreciation and amortization, partly offset by lower employee costs. Despite disciplined productivity and cost management efforts, the expense rate was affected by lower identical sales, including the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on pharmacy sales growth.
Adjusted EBITDA declined 8.8% year over year to $1.01 billion, while the adjusted EBITDA margin contracted 40 bps year over year to 4.1% of net sales and other revenues.
ACI’s Q1 Financial SnapshotAlbertsons ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $293.4 million. The company's long-term debt and finance lease obligations totaled $8.42 billion as of June 20, 2026, while total stockholders' equity amounted to $1.61 billion.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2026, capital expenditures totaled $522.1 million, primarily for the completion of 15 remodels, the opening of four new stores and continued investments in the company's digital and technology platforms.
ACI also continued returning capital to its shareholders. During the fiscal first quarter, the board increased the quarterly cash dividend by 13% from 15 cents to 17 cents per share. Albertsons paid a quarterly dividend of 17 cents per share on May 8, 2026, and repurchased 13.4 million shares of common stock for $226.5 million under its existing multi-year share repurchase authorization. The company declared its next quarterly cash dividend of 17 cents per share, payable on Aug. 7, 2026, to its shareholders of record as of July 24.
Sneak Peek Into Albertsons’ FY26 OutlookThe company updated its fiscal 2026 outlook to reflect continued softness in industry unit trends and a more cautious consumer, while accelerating investments and operational changes designed to strengthen its customer value proposition and improve its competitive position.
Albertsons now expects identical sales to decline between 1.5% and 0.5%, compared with its previous forecast of flat growth to a 1% increase.
Adjusted EBITDA is projected to be between $3.55 billion and $3.63 billion, down from the prior range of $3.85 billion to $3.93 billion. Adjusted earnings are expected to be between $1.75 and $1.85 per share versus the earlier outlook of $2.22-$2.32. Capital expenditures are projected in the range of $1.9-$2 billion compared with the prior expectation of $2-$2.2 billion.
Management noted that the outlook reflects an estimated 150-basis-point headwind from the Inflation Reduction Act's Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, which became effective on Jan. 1, 2026.
ACI Stock Past Three-Month Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have lost 12.2% over the past three months against the industry's 2.9% growth.
Three Picks You Can’t MissHere, we have highlighted three better-ranked stocks, namely, United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI - Free Report) , Newell Brands Inc. (NWL - Free Report) and The Kraft Heinz Company (KHC - Free Report) .
United Natural is the leading distributor of natural, organic and specialty food and non-food products, currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
UNFI delivered an earnings surprise of 29.9% in the trailing four quarters, on average. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for United Natural’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings indicates a decline of 2.1% and growth of 254.9%, respectively, from the year-ago reported quarter.
Newell Brands is a global manufacturer and marketer of consumer and commercial products. It has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. NWL delivered a trailing four-quarter average earnings surprise of 9.7%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Newell Brands’ current financial-year sales indicates growth of 1% from the year-ago reported numbers.
Kraft Heinz Company is one of the largest consumer packaged food and beverage companies in North America. It manufactures and markets food and beverage products and currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. KHC delivered a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 10.2%, on average.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Kraft Heinz Company’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings indicates a decline of 2% and 20.4%, respectively, from the year-earlier reported levels.
Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) today announced that Sharon McCollam, the company's President and Chief Financial Officer plans to retire later this ye
Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) today announced a new regional operating model and the next step in its Merch United merchandising model, two connected changes designed to simplify how the company operates and position teams to respond more quickly to customer needs.
“We call it the ACI Edge. It combines the scale and capabilities of a national retailer with the accountability and local focus that have long distinguished our banners,” said Susan Morris, Chief Executive Officer of Albertsons Cos. “By consolidating 11 divisions into four regions and centralizing center store merchandising, we can make faster decisions, improve in-stocks and move accountability closer to our stores, where fresh, service and local execution matter most to customers.”
The new operating model will move the company from 11 divisions to four regions. Each region will include local markets focused on strengthening customer connections, supporting stores and driving results in their communities.
The California Region will include the Southern California and Northern California markets. The West Region will include the Mountain West, Portland and Seattle markets. The South Region will include the Southwest, Southern and United markets. The East Region will include the Jewel-Osco, Mid-Atlantic and Shaw’s markets.
The company is also advancing Merch United by centralizing center store merchandising, bringing customer insights, supplier relationships, strategy, product, placement, promotion and price under a single enterprise team while continuing to combine national scale with local expertise. Merch United combines the buying power, data and analytics of a national retailer with the customer focus and local insights of Albertsons Cos.' market teams.
“Center store centralization is an important next step in Merch United and in how we build a stronger, more connected merchandising organization,” said Michelle Larson, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer of Albertsons Cos. “By bringing center store work together at the enterprise level, we can better leverage our scale, strengthen supplier partnerships and create more capacity for our regional and market teams to focus on fresh, local and the customer needs that make each community unique.”
Fresh merchandising decisions will remain in the markets and continue to be guided by the Merch United strategy, local customer preferences and market needs. Regional and market teams will continue to play an essential role in serving customers, supporting stores and delivering locally relevant experiences.
There are no plans to realign stores or districts as part of this transition. The company’s banners will continue serving customers with the local identity, history and community connections that have made them trusted shopping destinations.
Ultimately, these changes are intended to improve how Albertsons Cos. serves customers. A simpler operating structure, combined with the company's growing data and AI capabilities, will help teams respond more quickly to customer needs, improve in-stock performance and deliver a more consistent experience across stores and digital channels.
About Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of June 20, 2026, the Company operated 2,240 retail stores with 1,708 in-store pharmacies, 408 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.
Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. The "forward-looking statements" include our current expectations, assumptions, perspectives and projections about our business and our industry. You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "may," "should," "could," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," "continue," "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "expects," "future" and "intends" and similar expressions which are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. In evaluating our forward-looking statements, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties more fully described in the “Risk Factors” section or other sections in our reports filed with the SEC including the most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent periodic reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260723720139/en/
Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) (the "Company") today reported results for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, which ended June 20, 2026. First Quarte
Shares of grocer Albertsons sank nearly 15% on Thursday after the company lowered its fiscal 2026 outlook, citing softer demand and a more cautious consumer.
The company said it is now "moving decisively" to invest in the customer experience because it believes that will improve its growth trajectory.
"In the first quarter, our digital and pharmacy businesses continued to deliver strong growth, while core grocery faced increasing pressure from softer industry unit trends and a more cautious consumer," CEO Susan Morris said in a statement.
The company's outlook cut comes amid broader signs that U.S. consumers have scaled back their grocery trips. Food inflation and tighter budgets due to high gas prices, among other factors, appear to be hurting spending.
For the full year, Albertsons said it now expects net income between $1.75 and $1.85 per share, down significantly from its previous expectation of between $2.22 and $2.32 per share.
It also lowered its adjusted EBITDA guidance to a range of between $3.55 billion and $3.625 billion, compared to a previous projection of between $3.85 billion and $3.925 billion. It also now expects identical sales, a metric similar to comparable sales, to be in a range of down 0.5% to 1.5%, compared to a previous expectation of flat to up 1%.
For the first fiscal quarter of the year, the company reported that identical sales fell 0.8%. Albertsons reported net income of $84.7 million, or 17 cents per share, compared to $236.4 million, or 41 cents per share, in the year-ago period.
Still, Morris said on a call with analysts that while the pressure on consumers is weighing on near-term earnings, the company aims to "improve traffic, units, loyalty and the overall trajectory of the business over time."
MAMA Says a Fresh High Could Come Before Mid-YearAlbertsons Companies NYSE: ACI reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2026 results and lowered its full-year outlook, citing continued grocery unit pressure, softness among lower-income shoppers and planned investments to improve its customer value proposition.
On the company’s earnings call, CEO Susan Morris said identical sales declined 0.8% in the quarter, while adjusted EBITDA totaled $1.013 billion and adjusted earnings per share were $0.42. Morris said pharmacy and digital remained areas of strength but were not enough to offset broader pressure in the core grocery business.
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Albertsons—Is It the Best Buy in the Grocery Aisle?“These results were below our expectations, and we're taking decisive action to improve future performance,” Morris said. She said Albertsons is accelerating execution and making targeted investments in value, fresh, personalization and convenience, even though those actions are expected to weigh on near-term earnings.
Albertsons Launches ACI Edge Operating Model A central theme of the call was the rollout of “ACI Edge,” a new operating model designed to simplify Albertsons’ structure and improve execution. Morris said the company is moving from 11 divisions to four regions: California, West, South and East. Albertsons is also centralizing Center Store merchandising.
3 Contrarian "Buy the Dip" Picks—and One Area to AvoidMorris said the changes are intended to help the company “move faster, make better decisions, scale successful ideas more consistently, and deploy resources” toward banners and capabilities with the greatest opportunity. The new model is intended to combine national scale in areas such as merchandising, sourcing, supply chain, technology and talent with regional accountability in fresh, service, store standards, local merchandising and community connection.
Each region will be led by an Albertsons executive with end-to-end responsibility for performance, while one enterprise merchandising organization will manage category strategy and supplier partnerships. Morris said leadership appointments are complete, Center Store centralization has begun and work streams across merchandising, sourcing, supply chain and overhead are underway.
Albertsons expects ACI Edge to generate approximately $200 million of incremental annual run-rate benefits, with savings building through fiscal 2026 and the majority realized in fiscal 2027. The company expects about $50 million of transition costs across fiscal 2026 and 2027. Morris said the savings are intended to fund reinvestment in value, fresh execution, personalization, digital convenience and unit growth.
Updated Outlook Reflects Softer Demand and Value Investments President and CFO Sharon McCollam said first-quarter performance fell short of expectations and that the company moved quickly to address the issues. Identical sales decreased 0.8%, reflecting ongoing industry unit declines and macroeconomic pressures. McCollam said the decline was most pronounced among lower-income customer segments, where Albertsons saw softness in both units and baskets.
Reported identical sales were also pressured by approximately 100 basis points from the Inflation Reduction Act’s impact on pharmacy and 50 basis points from egg deflation. Excluding those headwinds, McCollam said identical sales increased approximately 0.7%, driven by pharmacy scripts and digital growth.
Albertsons updated its fiscal 2026 outlook to reflect a more cautious view of the consumer environment and increased investment in customer value. The company now expects:
Identical sales of negative 0.5% to negative 1.5%, or 0% to 1% excluding an expected 150-basis-point full-year headwind from the pharmacy Inflation Reduction Act impact. Adjusted EBITDA of $3.55 billion to $3.625 billion. Adjusted EPS of $1.75 to $1.85, including approximately $600 million of share repurchases during fiscal 2026. An effective tax rate of 24% to 25%. Capital expenditures of $1.9 billion to $2 billion. McCollam said Albertsons expects only gradual improvement in industry units and modest improvement from its own actions through the balance of the year. She said improvement is expected to come primarily from the grocery side of the business, while pharmacy will face tougher comparisons from prior-year script buys.
Digital, Loyalty and Pharmacy Remain Growth Areas Morris said digital sales grew 13% during the quarter, with penetration increasing to nearly 10.5%. She said the company’s loyalty ecosystem continues to scale personalization, with engaged members shopping more frequently and with higher average baskets than non-members.
Flash delivery remained the fastest-growing part of Albertsons’ digital offering. Morris also said e-commerce, including first-party and third-party businesses, was profitable in the first quarter. In response to an analyst question, McCollam said e-commerce still creates negative gross margin mix pressure because its gross margin rate is lower than traditional grocery, even though the business has “tipped over into profitability.”
Pharmacy also remained a key growth platform. Morris said reported pharmacy sales continued to be pressured by the Inflation Reduction Act and brand-to-generic mix, but Albertsons continued to see outsized script, immunization and clinical service growth. She said the pharmacy business is profitable on a standalone basis and continues to improve.
Albertsons’ retail media business also grew in the quarter, with on-site revenue up significantly year over year. Morris cited increased monetization of new and existing display placements, the launch of a branded entertainment offering called Shopper Informed Content and the integration of sponsored product discovery into AI-powered conversational search.
Company Emphasizes AI, Productivity and Targeted Pricing Morris said technology and AI are foundational to ACI Edge. Albertsons is focusing enterprise AI efforts on digital customer experience, merchandising intelligence, labor optimization and supply chain optimization. Initiatives include conversational search and planning tools, AI-assisted category planning and promotion tools, an AI-powered workforce management platform expected to roll out enterprise-wide in early 2027, and machine learning tools for forecasting, inventory and replenishment.
Albertsons also reiterated its broader productivity target. Morris said the company remains on track to realize more than one-third of its three-year, $2 billion productivity target in fiscal 2026, and said the simplified operating model is uncovering additional opportunities.
During the Q&A session, Morris said pricing investments are “very surgically and selectively” targeted and are not broad-based discounting. She said investments are being made in specific markets and categories where customers are making purchase decisions, including around price perception, fresh, personalization and convenience. Morris said Albertsons is not making a major change to its high-low promotional pricing strategy or moving to an everyday-low-price model.
Morris said lower-income customers are shifting to private label, value packaging and cheaper proteins, while higher-end customers appear more resilient. She also said the company’s largest leakage among lower-income shoppers is to major competitors including Walmart, Amazon and, to some degree, Aldi.
CFO Sharon McCollam to Retire The call also addressed McCollam’s planned retirement. Morris credited McCollam, who joined Albertsons in 2021, with helping shape the company’s financial, operational and strategic priorities. Morris said Albertsons is conducting a comprehensive search process that includes both internal and external candidates.
McCollam said it had been “a privilege to serve Albertsons” and that she would retire with confidence in the company’s future. She thanked Morris, the board, shareholders and Albertsons associates for their support.
Morris closed the call by saying Albertsons’ priorities are clear and that the company is focused on improving the trajectory of the business through ACI Edge, targeted customer investments and continued focus on digital, loyalty, media, AI and data-driven personalization.
About Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI)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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BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons® Companies, Inc. announced that Sharon McCollam, the company's President and Chief Financial Officer plans to retire later this year.
BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons® Companies, Inc. announced a new regional operating model and the next step in its Merch United merchandising model.
The upcoming report from Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) is expected to reveal quarterly earnings of $0.55 per share, indicating no change from the year-ago quarter. Analysts forecast revenues of $24.81 billion, representing a decline of 0.3% year over year.
The current level reflects an upward revision of 0.4% in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter over the past 30 days. This demonstrates how the analysts covering the stock have collectively reappraised their initial projections over this period.
Before a company reveals its earnings, it is vital to take into account any changes in earnings projections. These revisions play a pivotal role in predicting the possible reactions of investors toward the stock. Multiple empirical studies have consistently shown a strong association between trends in earnings estimates and the short-term price movements of a stock.
While investors typically use consensus earnings and revenue estimates as a yardstick to evaluate the company's quarterly performance, scrutinizing analysts' projections for some of the company's key metrics can offer a more comprehensive perspective.
With that in mind, let's delve into the average projections of some Albertsons Companies metrics that are commonly tracked and projected by analysts on Wall Street.
The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Revenues- Fuel' will likely reach $1.36 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +10.3%.
Analysts' assessment points toward 'Number of stores at end of quarter' reaching 2,242 . The estimate is in contrast to the year-ago figure of 2,264 .
Analysts expect 'Total Square Footage - Retail Square Feet' to come in at 111.85 million. The estimate compares to the year-ago value of 112.80 million.
View all Key Company Metrics for Albertsons Companies here>>>
Shares of Albertsons Companies have experienced a change of +5.8% in the past month compared to the +0.3% move of the Zacks S&P 500 composite. With a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), ACI is expected to mirror the overall market performance in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI – Free Report) by 2,707.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 123,867 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 119,455 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $2,111,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 103.5% during the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 730 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies by 185.1% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,628 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 91.2% in the 4th quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 1,855 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 885 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Albertsons Companies by 172.8% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,062 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,306 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. 71.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Albertsons Companies from $21.00 to $18.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, June 29th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Albertsons Companies from $22.00 to $17.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, June 29th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Albertsons Companies from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $21.00 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a report on Monday, April 6th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $20.25.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on ACI
Albertsons Companies Trading Down 1.7% Shares of ACI stock opened at $14.70 on Wednesday. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $13.16 and a fifty-two week high of $20.91. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $15.08 and a 200 day moving average price of $16.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.58, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.86.
Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 7th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 24th will be paid a $0.17 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 24th. This represents a $0.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.6%. Albertsons Companies’s payout ratio is 212.50%.
Albertsons Companies Profile (Free Report)
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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It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.
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Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.
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VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.
#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
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Stock to Watch: Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) Headquartered in Boise, ID, Albertsons Companies, Inc. is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. The company operates food and drug retail stores that offer grocery products, general merchandise, health and beauty care products, pharmacy, fuel and other items and services. Albertsons went public on June 26, 2020.
ACI is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 6.69; value investors should take notice.
One analyst revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2027, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.00 to $2.26 per share. ACI also boasts an average earnings surprise of +8.9%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, ACI should be on investors' short list.
300+ nonprofit partners, customers and communities united to provide 49 million meals to children and families facing hunger
BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) and Albertsons Companies Foundation (“The Foundation”) today announced the results of the inaugural “Nourish the American Dream,” a first-of-its-kind nationwide campaign to help end childhood hunger across the United States. Together with more than 300 nonprofit partners, customers and communities, the campaign generated more than $12.2 million in support for childhood hunger relief nationwide, surpassing its original $5 million fundraising goal.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to grow, learn and pursue their dreams, and reliable access to nourishing food is foundational to that opportunity,” said Christy Duncan Anderson, President and Executive Director of the Albertsons Companies Foundation. “The success of Nourish the American Dream reflects the deep commitment of Albertsons Companies, our Foundation and our partners to creating meaningful change for children and families facing hunger. Surpassing our goal is an important milestone, but our work does not stop here. We are committed to building on this momentum through continued collaboration and our year-round Nourishing Neighbors initiative to help ensure children have the nourishment they need to thrive.”
Campaign Impact at a Glance:
$12.2 million+ mobilized to support childhood hunger relief across the country, including $2.5 million matched by Albertsons Companies Foundation 49 million meals supported through campaign contributions 300+ nonprofit partners united nationwide 17,000+ donors contributed to participating nonprofit organizations “The Nourish the American Dream campaign is a powerful example of what's possible when food banks across the country unite around a shared goal,” said Rebecca Snyder, Director of Corporate Partnerships at Feeding Westchester. “By bringing together hundreds of organizations nationwide, we've built a movement focused on nourishing every child's potential. Here in Westchester County, where 41% of households are at risk of hunger, that kind of nationwide momentum translates directly into meals on tables for kids who need them most. This campaign proves that real progress is possible when communities, donors and partners show up together."
“One of the most rewarding moments is seeing how a single campaign becomes something much bigger than a donation,” said Carol Marie Howell, Executive Director at Reaching Out to Community and Kids. “Every dollar given was doubled, allowing local families to receive twice the support during a time when food insecurity remains a daily challenge. Watching neighbors, businesses, hospitals, foundations and individuals come together reminds me that the strongest communities are built when people invest in one another. This campaign didn’t just provide food, it strengthened hope, dignity and the belief that no one in our community has to face hardship alone.”
"The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County is extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate in this campaign,” said Duncan Lawson, Executive Director at The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County. “We noticed that 30% of the donors that contributed to this campaign were new donors. These new partnerships don't just help us meet the immediate demand today; they strengthen our foundation so we can continue fighting food insecurity in the months and years to come."
“Nourish the American Dream” will continue to grow as a signature initiative of the Albertsons Companies Foundation, complementing the Foundation's year-round Nourishing Neighbors program.
For more information on “Nourish the American Dream,” click here.
Download campaign images, assets and video here.
About Albertsons® Companies, Inc.
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.
BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) (the “Company”) today announced its Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 of $0.17 per share of common stock. The cash dividend is payable on Aug. 7, 2026, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on July 24, 2026.
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.
Important Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements regarding the Company’s expectations, perspectives and projected financial performance, are forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan” and similar expressions, when related to the Company and its subsidiaries, indicate forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. The Company cautions that the risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. The Company also cautions that undue reliance should not be placed on any of the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no responsibility to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report or to reflect actual outcomes. Certain potential factors that could affect our business and financial results and cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements are described in the “Risk Factors” section or other sections in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on April 27, 2026, and in reports subsequently filed with the SEC and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.
Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.
It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores, developed alongside the Zacks Rank, are complementary indicators that rate stocks based on three widely-followed investing methodologies; they also help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.
Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.
Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.
VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.
Investors can count on the Zacks Rank's success, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988, more than double the S&P 500's performance. But the model rates a large number of stocks, and there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.
That's where the Style Scores come in.
To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.
As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.
Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.
Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) Headquartered in Boise, ID, Albertsons Companies, Inc. is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. The company operates food and drug retail stores that offer grocery products, general merchandise, health and beauty care products, pharmacy, fuel and other items and services. Albertsons went public on June 26, 2020.
ACI is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 6.26; value investors should take notice.
For fiscal 2027, one analyst revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.00 to $2.26 per share. ACI boasts an average earnings surprise of +8.9%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, ACI should be on investors' short list.
AC Immune Reports Interim 12-Month Data from Phase 1b/2 ABATE Trial of ACI-24 in Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease
ACI-24 anti-Abeta active immunotherapy generally safe and well tolerated in first three Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cohorts in ABATEAnti-Abeta antibody dose-response demonstrated with antibodies detected at all dose levels in cohorts AD1-3Ongoing AD4 cohort includes additional adjuvant designed to enhance ACI-24 responses Lausanne, Switzerland, June 30, 2026 -- AC Immune SA (NASDAQ: ACIU), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering precision therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced interim data from the first three cohorts (AD1, AD2 & AD3) of 74 patients with prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in the Phase 1b/2 ABATE trial following 12 months of treatment with ACI-24 anti-amyloid beta (Abeta) active immunotherapy.
In the trial to date, ACI-24 has been generally safe and well tolerated, with no evidence of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities-edema (ARIA-E). Anti-Abeta antibody responses were detected at every dose level with a dose response.
We evaluated enhancing ACI-24 with an additional adjuvant to boost immunogenicity while the ABATE trial was ongoing. This is currently being tested in the recently initiated ABATE Cohort AD4.
Martin Zügel, MD, interim CEO of AC Immune and Chair of the Board of Directors, commented: “The nature of the antibody response observed in ABATE suggests that we should further enhance immunogenicity for more effective plaque removal. Cohort AD4 was initiated to evaluate enhancing ACI-24 with an additional adjuvant.”
About ACI-24 and the ABATE trial
ACI-24 is AC Immune’s anti-Abeta active immunotherapy candidate. ABATE is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1b/2 trial of ACI-24 in prodromal AD and in adults with Down syndrome (DS) where recruitment of participants into the third cohort, DS3, has been concluded (NCT05462106). Enrolled patients in the AD cohorts are required to have a diagnosis of prodromal AD: MCI due to AD according to the National Institute on Aging Alzheimer’s Association (NIA-AA) criteria, and a PET scan at screening must be consistent with the presence of amyloid pathology. Following multiple data safety monitoring board (DSMB) reviews, no safety concerns have been raised to date, with no evidence of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), consistent with previous results.
About the Takeda agreement
AC Immune has an exclusive, worldwide option and license agreement with Takeda on anti-Abeta active immunotherapies, including ACI-24. Under the terms of the agreement, AC Immune received an upfront payment of $100 million and a milestone of $12 million on dosing of the first patients in Cohort AD4. AC Immune is eligible to receive an option exercise fee and additional potential development, commercial and sales-based milestones of up to approximately $2.1 billion. Upon commercialization, AC Immune will be entitled to receive tiered double-digit royalties on worldwide net sales. AC Immune is responsible for conducting the ABATE trial. Following the potential option exercise, Takeda would conduct and fund all further clinical development and be responsible for all global regulatory activities as well as worldwide commercialization.
For further information, please contact:
About AC Immune SA
AC Immune SA is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and a global leader in precision prevention for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and NeuroOrphan indications driven by misfolded proteins. The Company’s two clinically validated technology platforms, SupraAntigen® and Morphomer®, fuel its pipeline of first- and best-in-class assets, which currently features a range of therapeutic and diagnostic programs, including candidates in Phase 2 and Phase 3 development. AC Immune has a strong track record of securing strategic partnerships with leading global pharmaceutical companies, resulting in substantial non-dilutive funding to advance its proprietary programs and >$4.5 billion in potential milestone payments plus royalties.
SupraAntigen® is a registered trademark of AC Immune SA in the following territories: AU, EU, CH, GB, JP, RU, SG and USA. Morphomer® is a registered trademark of AC Immune SA in CA, CN, CH, EU, GB, JP, KR, NO, RU and SG.
The information on our website and any other websites referenced herein is expressly not incorporated by reference into, and does not constitute a part of, this press release.
Forward looking statements
This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are statements other than historical fact and may include statements that address future operating, financial or business performance or AC Immune’s strategies or expectations. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “projects,” “potential,” “outlook” or “continue,” and other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. These risks and uncertainties include those described under the captions “Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors” and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” in AC Immune’s Annual Report on Form 20-F and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and AC Immune does not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
With broader market volatility likely to emerge at some point amid geopolitical uncertainty, evolving monetary policy, and premium stock valuations across many growth sectors, defensive investments may become increasingly attractive.
Consumer staples companies have historically offered resilience during market downturns because demand for food and household essentials tends to remain relatively stable regardless of economic conditions.
Better still, investors don't necessarily have to sacrifice income or valuation. To that point, Albertsons Companies (ACI - Free Report) ), B&G Foods (BGS - Free Report) ), and Nomad Foods (NOMD - Free Report) ) all trade at modest stock prices and earnings multiples while offering dividend yields well above 3%.
For investors looking to build a defensive hedge within a diversified portfolio, these attractively valued consumer food stocks may deserve a closer look, with each sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at the moment.
Albertsons: A Discount Grocery Giant Trading at a BargainAlbertsons operates more than 2,200 grocery stores across the United States under well-known banners including Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, and ACME. Grocery retailers tend to perform relatively well throughout economic cycles as consumers continue purchasing essential food products even during economic downturns.
Furthermore, Albertsons has invested heavily in digital capabilities, loyalty programs, and private-label offerings, helping to strengthen customer retention while supporting profitability. Meanwhile, pharmacy services and fuel centers provide additional recurring traffic.
From a valuation standpoint, Albertsons stock remains inexpensive, trading at $13 a share and roughly 6X forward earnings while offering investors a 5% annual dividend yield. Plus, ACI has a 29% payout ratio that suggests there is plenty of cushion for future dividend hikes.
Although grocery retailing remains a competitive business with relatively thin margins, Albertsons' stable cash generation and shareholder-friendly capital allocation make the stock an appealing defensive investment for income-focused investors.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
B&G Foods: High Yield Supported by Well-Known BrandsB&G Foods owns a diverse portfolio of recognizable pantry brands, including Green Giant, Cream of Wheat, Ortega, Crisco, Back to Nature, and Spice Islands. While inflation and higher interest expenses have pressured results over the past several years, management has focused on debt reduction, cost controls, and improving operating efficiency.
As inflation moderates and pricing pressures normalize, B&G could benefit from improving margins while continuing to generate steady cash flows from its collection of staple food brands.
The stock certainly stands out for income investors, currently yielding an eye catching 18% dividend yield, while trading at a discounted valuation compared to many consumer staples peers. At $4 a share, BGS trades at 7X forward earnings compared to its Zacks Food-Miscellaneous Industry average of 14X.
While it remains to be seen whether B&G Foods can sustain its elevated dividend, the risk-to-reward profile appears attractive thanks to the combination of its established brands and improving fundamentals, making BGS an intriguing higher-yield defensive play.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Nomad Foods: Europe's Frozen Food LeaderNomad Foods is Europe's leading frozen food company, owning popular brands including Birds Eye, Findus, iglo, Aunt Bessie's, and Goodfella's.
Frozen foods are benefiting from long-term consumer trends favoring convenience, affordability, and reduced food waste. These characteristics have helped Nomad generate consistent cash flows while maintaining healthy operating margins across multiple European markets.
Management has continued to expand through product innovation and strategic acquisitions while returning excess cash to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.
Despite these strengths, Nomad stock is trading around $11 a share and just 6X forward earnings while offering a 6% annual dividend yield.
The company's combination of recurring revenue, stable demand, disciplined capital allocation, and international diversification makes Nomad an appealing long-term holding for defensive investors.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Why Consumer Staples Can Help Protect a PortfolioConsumer staples have traditionally outperformed many cyclical sectors during periods of economic uncertainty because demand for everyday necessities remains relatively consistent. Grocery stores and packaged food manufacturers typically experience less volatility than discretionary retailers, technology companies, or industrial businesses.
For investors seeking additional stability, companies that pair durable cash flows with reliable dividend income can help reduce overall portfolio volatility while generating income regardless of market conditions.
Bottom LineBuilding positions in high-quality consumer staples stocks can be an effective way to add a defensive hedge to an investment portfolio without paying premium valuations.
Albertsons, B&G Foods, and Nomad Foods fit that profile as they offer exposure to essential food products, dependable cash generation, and have dividend yields well above 3%. Meanwhile, their inexpensive earnings multiples provide an added margin of safety.
Albertsons has launched a new integration with commerce intelligence platform Criteo.
The partnership, announced Thursday (June 25) by the grocery giant’s retail media arm Albertsons Media Collective, is designed to bring product discovery into Albertsons artificial intelligence-powered conversational search.
“As customers increasingly turn to AI-driven tools for inspiration and guidance, Albertsons Media Collective is helping brands participate in key planning and shopping moments that are closer to purchase,” the company said in a news release. “The integration modernizes the app search experience by surfacing ads naturally within conversational discovery.”
With Criteo, eligible sponsored products can appear inside AI-powered conversational search product carousels, directing customers to relevant items while offering advertisers a natural way to appear within the shopping journey, the release added.
“As shoppers use AI and conversational experiences to explore options, brands have an opportunity to put customers first by connecting them to the right products in the moments that matter, meeting their needs with relevance while making retail media feel effortless and organic,” said Jill Pavlovich, Albertsons senior vice president for digital customer experience.
“This integration is about creating retail media that helps customers along their shopping journey, showing up in ways that are useful and additive to their experience, while giving advertisers a new path to engage closer to the moment of purchase.”
The new partnership is the latest example of Albertsons’ embrace of AI. The company last month launched Intelligent Quality Control, a tool for the chain’s distribution centers designed to visually inspect grapes and berries to determine if they are still fresh.
“Produce quality inspection has always been a human problem with a human-shaped flaw,” PYMNTS wrote. “The same item might grade differently depending on the inspector, the shift, the warehouse or the hour. Across a network like Albertsons’ 22 distribution centers and 2,244 stores, small inconsistencies can compound.”
And during an earnings call at the start of the year, Albertsons said that its Ask AI search capability was yielding a 10% increase in basket size for those customers using it.
Meanwhile, PYMNTS wrote earlier this year about one of the challenges facing businesses when it comes to retail media: nearly half of all retail shoppers did not notice an offer made via these channels during their most recent purchase.
“Among those who do find them, most offers require multiple steps to redeem, and only a small minority are automatically applied at checkout,” PYMNTS wrote in April. “That gap directly affects whether retail media can do what it is designed to do — which, in a nutshell, boils down to changing consumer behavior.”
BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) and Albertsons Companies Foundation (“The Foundation”) today announced the launch of “Nourish the American Dream,” a first-of-its-kind nationwide campaign to help end childhood hunger across the United States. Together with more than 250 nonprofit partners, national brands and supporters, this multi-year movement aims to raise $5 million from July 1-7 for childhood hunger relief in a shared campaign including a Dream Pantry Auction featuring signed pantry staples from celebrities and notable figures.
As part of The Foundation’s Nourishing Neighbors initiative, “Nourish the American Dream” is rooted in the belief that every child shall have the nourishment to participate, thrive and pursue the American Dream. TV personality and cultural icon Mario Lopez serves as the campaign’s national spokesperson to amplify awareness for the initiative and drive participation nationwide.
"Growing up, I saw how difficult it can be for families when food isn’t always guaranteed, which is why this cause is so important to me,” said Lopez. “‘Nourish the American Dream’ is about bringing people together to end childhood hunger, and I wanted to rally as many Americans as possible to join in.”
At the heart of the campaign is a powerful truth: for millions of children, hunger remains a barrier to learning, confidence, belonging and opportunity, especially in the summer months when consistent access to school meals falls away. Today, only about one in six children who rely on school lunches continue to receive meals over the summer.*
Through a coordinated network of nonprofit organizations, including Feeding America®, Food Research and Action Center, Gift Card Bank, Hunger Free America, Move for Hunger, No Kid Hungry, Partnership for a Healthier America and WhyHunger, “Nourish the American Dream” unites communities across the country to raise critical funds and awareness for childhood hunger relief with a shared goal of $5 million. To accelerate impact, The Foundation will provide a matching commitment of up to $2.5 million, doubling qualifying donations made between July 1-7. The campaign will come to life through a national PSA and digital campaign, the Dream Pantry Auction, nonprofit partner activations in local communities and in-store engagement across Albertsons Cos. banner stores.
“When nourished, America’s children experience the joy of growing, learning and becoming all they are meant to be,” said Christy Duncan Anderson, President and Executive Director of the Albertsons Companies Foundation. “When we help end childhood hunger, we unlock a future defined by possibility, strength and shared prosperity. ‘Nourish the American Dream’ is the start of a multi-year movement to make that future possible for every child.”
Dream Pantry Auction to End Hunger
As part of the campaign, the Dream Pantry Auction is a one-of-a-kind charitable fundraiser designed to engage the general public in this national movement. Hosted by Lopez, the auction will feature everyday pantry staples turned into one-of-a-kind collectibles signed by celebrities and notable figures including Stephen Curry, Robert Downey Jr., Livvy Dunne, Tony Hawk and Christina Milian. From July 1-7, consumers can bid on these unique collectibles with proceeds going directly to support childhood hunger relief nationwide.
“A signed pantry item like a box of cereal or peanut butter may sound unexpected, but that’s the point. It’s a powerful, and fun, way to support a great cause while owning a unique collectible and conversation piece. Every bid helps to make sure that more children have access to food this summer, and I can’t wait to see how many people participate,” said Lopez.
“Feed This” PSA Campaign
A key component of “Nourish the American Dream,” The Foundation also debuted a national PSA campaign titled “Feed This,” highlighting the hunger challenges families face during the summer months and year-round to inspire action during the July 1-7 giving window. The PSA, which shows that childhood hunger is not only a humanitarian issue, but a barrier to participation in everyday life, appears nationally across media platforms including TV, radio, digital, print and out-of-home marketing.
“Ending child hunger in America is within reach,” said Anne Filipic, Chief Executive Officer for Share Our Strength, “When children have consistent access to healthy food, they are empowered to achieve their full potential which strengthens families, communities and our nation’s future. We are proud to be part of this collective movement to drive lasting change.”
Visit NourishTheAmericanDream.org for more information including a full list of participating nonprofit organizations and details on how to participate in the Dream Pantry Auction.
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.
New integration with Criteo enables brands to connect with shoppers during key planning and shopping moments
BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons Media Collective, the retail media arm for Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI), today announced a new integration with Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO), the global commerce intelligence platform, bringing sponsored product discovery into Albertsons Cos.’ AI-powered conversational search. The integration enables brands to connect with shoppers as they plan meals, discover products and build baskets.
As customers increasingly turn to AI-driven tools for inspiration and guidance, Albertsons Media Collective is helping brands participate in key planning and shopping moments that are closer to purchase. The integration modernizes the app search experience by surfacing ads naturally within conversational discovery. Through Criteo, eligible sponsored products can appear within AI-powered conversational search product carousels, helping connect customers with relevant items while giving advertisers a natural way to show up in the shopping journey.
“As shoppers use AI and conversational experiences to explore options, brands have an opportunity to put customers first by connecting them to the right products in the moments that matter, meeting their needs with relevance while making retail media feel effortless and organic,” said Jill Pavlovich, SVP, Digital Customer Experience for Albertsons Companies. “This integration is about creating retail media that helps customers along their shopping journey, showing up in ways that are useful and additive to their experience, while giving advertisers a new path to engage closer to the moment of purchase.”
For shoppers, the experience is designed to surface product options that are highly relevant to search queries and fit naturally within the conversation, helping them discover items that are connected to what they are already planning or looking to buy. Albertsons Cos.’ AI-powered conversational search is designed to make grocery shopping easier and more personalized by helping customers find products, plan meals, compare options and build baskets through a conversational experience based on the customer’s searches, inputs and shared preferences. Rather than beginning with a specific item, shoppers can start with broader needs, like planning a meal or restocking for the week, and move directly from inspiration to basket building. Over 85% of Albertsons Cos.’ AI-powered conversations begin with open-ended or exploratory questions.
“In grocery, so many decisions happen in the context of a weekly shop, from discovering new products to planning meals,” said Jenny Dickinson, eCommerce Customer Business Manager, McCormick. “Being part of an experience like Albertsons Cos.’ AI-powered conversational search lets us introduce our brands in a way that feels genuinely helpful to shoppers, while giving us a clearer view of how those moments translate into consideration and sales.”
The collaboration builds on Albertsons Media Collective’s ongoing partnership with Criteo and reflects its broader focus on building retail media solutions that improve the shopper experience while creating measurable opportunities for advertisers.
“Retail media is expanding, with discovery increasingly happening within AI-driven experiences,” said Sherry Smith, President of Retail Media at Criteo. “With Albertsons Cos. as our first retailer to bring Sponsored Products into an AI-powered shopping assistant, we are helping brands connect with shoppers in those moments of intent, setting the foundation for how retailers will monetize AI-driven discovery while maintaining control of the shopper journey.”
For more information, visit albertsonsmediacollective.com.
About Albertsons Media Collective
Albertsons Media Collective is a next-generation retail media network rooted in connections, technology and innovation. As the retail media arm for Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, we connect with consumers in more than 2,200 locations across 35 states and the District of Columbia. Through a companywide focus on innovation, we partner with leading brands to help them engage shoppers when and where it matters most, with the power of sophisticated first-party data. From innovative delivery platforms to highly targeted marketing solutions, we offer our clients a variety of programs designed to drive retail sales and maximize brand impact to best serve our shoppers.
About Criteo
Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO) is the global commerce intelligence platform that drives performance for brands, agencies, retailers and publishers. Built on proprietary commerce data from more than $1 trillion in annual sales and two decades of AI innovation, Criteo helps companies across the ecosystem make smarter decisions and achieve better outcomes, while delivering more relevant experiences for shoppers. With thousands of clients and deep partnerships across global retail and digital commerce, Criteo provides the technology and insights businesses need to compete and grow. For more information, please visit criteo.com.
Albertsons Media Collective, the retail media arm for Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI), today announced a new integration with Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO), the global commerce intelligence platform, bringing sponsored product discovery into Albertsons Cos.’ AI-powered conversational search. The integration enables brands to connect with shoppers as they plan meals, discover products and build baskets.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260622677493/en/
Albertsons Media Collective announced a new integration with Criteo, the global commerce intelligence platform, bringing sponsored product discovery into Albertsons Cos.’ AI-powered conversational search. The integration enables brands to connect with shoppers as they plan meals, discover products and build baskets.
As customers increasingly turn to AI-driven tools for inspiration and guidance, Albertsons Media Collective is helping brands participate in key planning and shopping moments that are closer to purchase. The integration modernizes the app search experience by surfacing ads naturally within conversational discovery. Through Criteo, eligible sponsored products can appear within AI-powered conversational search product carousels, helping connect customers with relevant items while giving advertisers a natural way to show up in the shopping journey.
“As shoppers use AI and conversational experiences to explore options, brands have an opportunity to put customers first by connecting them to the right products in the moments that matter, meeting their needs with relevance while making retail media feel effortless and organic,” said Jill Pavlovich, SVP, Digital Customer Experience for Albertsons Companies. “This integration is about creating retail media that helps customers along their shopping journey, showing up in ways that are useful and additive to their experience, while giving advertisers a new path to engage closer to the moment of purchase.”
For shoppers, the experience is designed to surface product options that are highly relevant to search queries and fit naturally within the conversation, helping them discover items that are connected to what they are already planning or looking to buy. Albertsons Cos.’ AI-powered conversational search is designed to make grocery shopping easier and more personalized by helping customers find products, plan meals, compare options and build baskets through a conversational experience based on the customer’s searches, inputs and shared preferences. Rather than beginning with a specific item, shoppers can start with broader needs, like planning a meal or restocking for the week, and move directly from inspiration to basket building. Over 85% of Albertsons Cos.’ AI-powered conversations begin with open-ended or exploratory questions.
“In grocery, so many decisions happen in the context of a weekly shop, from discovering new products to planning meals,” said Jenny Dickinson, eCommerce Customer Business Manager, McCormick. “Being part of an experience like Albertsons Cos.’ AI-powered conversational search lets us introduce our brands in a way that feels genuinely helpful to shoppers, while giving us a clearer view of how those moments translate into consideration and sales.”
The collaboration builds on Albertsons Media Collective’s ongoing partnership with Criteo and reflects its broader focus on building retail media solutions that improve the shopper experience while creating measurable opportunities for advertisers.
“Retail media is expanding, with discovery increasingly happening within AI-driven experiences,” said Sherry Smith, President of Retail Media at Criteo. “With Albertsons Cos. as our first retailer to bring Sponsored Products into an AI-powered shopping assistant, we are helping brands connect with shoppers in those moments of intent, setting the foundation for how retailers will monetize AI-driven discovery while maintaining control of the shopper journey.”
For more information, visit albertsonsmediacollective.com.
About Albertsons Media Collective
Albertsons Media Collective is a next-generation retail media network rooted in connections, technology and innovation. As the retail media arm for Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, we connect with consumers in more than 2,200 locations across 35 states and the District of Columbia. Through a companywide focus on innovation, we partner with leading brands to help them engage shoppers when and where it matters most, with the power of sophisticated first-party data. From innovative delivery platforms to highly targeted marketing solutions, we offer our clients a variety of programs designed to drive retail sales and maximize brand impact to best serve our shoppers.
About Criteo
Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO) is the global commerce intelligence platform that drives performance for brands, agencies, retailers and publishers. Built on proprietary commerce data from more than $1 trillion in annual sales and two decades of AI innovation, Criteo helps companies across the ecosystem make smarter decisions and achieve better outcomes, while delivering more relevant experiences for shoppers. With thousands of clients and deep partnerships across global retail and digital commerce, Criteo provides the technology and insights businesses need to compete and grow. For more information, please visit criteo.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260622677493/en/
BP, 7-Eleven, and Walmart are among a slew of gas stations, convenience stores, and big-box retailers that got sued this week for allegedly using artificial intelligence to spike gas prices in California.
U.S gas prices have recently hit a record high, up as much as 50% since the war with Iran began. And California has some of the nation’s highest fuel prices, with regular gasoline averaging $5.56 per gallon on Tuesday, compared with the national average of $3.92, according to AAA.
The class action lawsuit on behalf of California drivers alleges the businesses, which include Walmart and Albertsons and together operate over 1,700 gas stations, are violating California’s Cartwright Act antitrust law and Assembly Bill 325, which prohibits algorithmic price fixing.
The suit was filed in federal court in the Golden State’s capital on Monday, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the story.
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At the center of this case is Kalibrate’s AI fuel-pricing tool, which the businesses employ to set fuel prices—but which is accused of using data at the pumps to “coordinate high prices and wring more money from the pockets of consumers,” Reuters reported.
How much money? According to the federal suit, Kalibrate’s pricing increased gas prices by as much as 30 cents a gallon—to a high of $7 a gallon—for a total spike of $134 million a year, per Reuters.
“While families struggle to afford the commute to work, defendants have conspired to put an end to competition, joining an AI-powered trust to ensure that no matter where a driver turns, the price for gasoline is artificially high,” according to the complaint, Reuters reported.
“We are reviewing the complaint and will respond appropriately to the Court,” a Walmart spokesperson said in an email statement.
Fast Company has reached out to Kalibrate, BP, Albertsons, and 7-Eleven for comment.
Join us in New York City this September for the annual Fast Company Innovation Festival. Advanced-rate tickets are available now through Sunday, July 12. Grab your festival passes today.
Albertsons Media Collective expands its retail media platform to include episodic, scripted branded entertainment built on Albertsons Companies’ shopper insights, co-developed with Procter & Gamble; the Minivela drama Rico’s Tacos launches June 23
BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons Media Collective, the retail media arm for Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI), today opened a new lane for brands inside its retail media network and pioneered a category for the industry: episodic, scripted branded entertainment, co-created with retailer shopper intelligence and distributed across the Albertsons Media Collective platform. Through Albertsons Media Collective, brands can now bring a creative idea to the table and tap combined insights of shopper needs and key missions pairing a brand’s own retail performance insights at Albertsons Cos. with the retailer’s expertise in shopper and category buying patterns to inform the campaign creative. Procter & Gamble (P&G) is the strategic co-development partner for the inaugural work under this model, bringing its deep consumer knowledge and entertainment heritage to the Minivela drama, Rico’s Tacos.
The result is a shift in what retail media can be: not a place to run an ad after it is made, but a place where content is curated and distributed. Albertsons Cos. co-created and filmed the Minivela drama with P&G and its production partner Brilla Media at Albertsons Cos. stores featuring real in-store associates. The retailer, in collaboration with Albertsons Media Collective, is further investing in amplifying Rico’s Tacos across its owned and social media channels.
“The brands that will win are the ones that connect with shoppers in relevant, everyday moments,” said Lela Coffey, Vice President, User Growth Acceleration at P&G. “What makes this collaboration notable is that the creative was developed with Albertsons Cos. using shopper insights at the outset, rather than applying data only after the work is made. That creates a closer link between the story, the audience, and the commercial outcome.”
Minivela Drama: The First Proof Point
Rico’s Tacos is the result of strategic co-creation between Albertsons Cos. and P&G. Albertsons Cos. contributed its shopper intelligence, retail media network and in-store production environment, while P&G brought its deep consumer knowledge and entertainment expertise. The result is creative informed by a shared understanding of consumer needs and shopping behaviors from the outset, rather than data applied after the work is complete.
"The idea for Rico's Tacos emerged directly from the shopper insights and cultural intelligence shared by Albertsons Companies and P&G,” said Manny Ruiz, CEO of Minivela, and showrunner of Rico's Tacos. “Those insights became the creative spark that shaped the franchise from the very beginning and continued to inform its development throughout the process. What makes this project so significant is that we're not simply using data to optimize advertising—we're using insights to inspire entertainment. By bringing together retail media, consumer understanding, creators, brands, and storytelling, we've created a new model for developing and distributing original content. We believe this is only the beginning of what's possible.”
The Minivela series, Rico’s Tacos, is set in a Southern California neighborhood near Venice Beach. Designed for mobile viewing, each 1-to-2-minute episode follows a widowed father, his teenage daughter and her abuela as they build a family taco business and navigate questions of identity, resilience and legacy.
The series launches June 23 on Albertsons Cos.’ YouTube, social, and in-store platforms, with new episodes dropping weekly through the end of August. An episode will also premiere at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Click here to learn more.
Albertsons Media Collective: The Operating System
Albertsons Media Collective and Albertsons Cos. plan to scale similar campaigns across additional series, formats and brand collaborations in the months ahead.
“Retail media is evolving beyond placements toward work that drives brand love, commerce and measurement,” said Brian Monahan, SVP Retail Media at Albertsons Media Collective. “With aggregated shopper insights that shape the creative and evaluate performance, brands have a clearer view of what is resonating with their customers and what is driving results. Branded storytelling stops feeling like advertising and starts feeling like culture. Our stores are the stage, our shoppers inspire the content, and our insights help guide effective storytelling. Albertsons Media Collective isn’t just a place to run an ad. It’s where branded entertainment can be built on shopper truth and brought to life inside the aisles where it sells.”
Branded entertainment is the newest tactic in a broader portfolio of media offerings that brands can access through Albertsons Media Collective. The retail media network gives brands a connected set of capabilities to drive growth across the shopper journey, including display, video, in-store digital signage, sponsored search, off-site media and Collective TV. Brands can use these tactics individually or together, and now with branded entertainment as part of the mix.
Download video and images here.
About Albertsons Media Collective
Albertsons Media Collective is a next-generation retail media network rooted in connections, technology and innovation. As the retail media arm for Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, we connect with consumers in more than 2,200 locations across 35 states and the District of Columbia. Through a companywide focus on innovation, we partner with leading brands to help them engage shoppers when and where it matters most, with the power of sophisticated first-party data. From innovative delivery platforms to highly targeted marketing solutions, we offer our clients a variety of programs designed to drive retail sales and maximize brand impact to best serve our shoppers.
About P&G Studios
P&G Studios develops and produces powerful stories and compelling narratives, to foster relevant connections where P&G brands fit naturally. P&G Studios has been a driving force behind projects like feature-length Beyond the Gates (CBS), Culture of Winning: Polynesian Football Pride (Tubi), Oscar® Shortlisted Coded: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker (Paramount+), A Radical Act: Renee Montgomery (Roku), Fair Play (Hulu), TIME Women of the Year, the powerful Queen Collective Films (BET), and the launch of the Seneca Women's Podcast Network. P&G Studios, continue to build on its deep heritage in soap operas dating back to the 1930s to reach new social-first audiences with premium micro soap dramas including The Golden Pear Affair (dentsu Entertainment and Pixie USA) and Rico’s Tacos (Brilla Media, Chicano Hollywood, Albertsons), bringing serialized storytelling and commerce into a single, immersive engaging experience. In addition to providing trusted, quality, leadership brands, P&G Studios is one of the many innovative ways the Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) serves consumers around the world. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.
Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.
Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.
In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.
One stock to keep an eye on is Albertsons Companies (ACI - Free Report) . ACI is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 8.29. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 18.19. ACI's Forward P/E has been as high as 10.44 and as low as 7.46, with a median of 8.91, all within the past year.
We also note that ACI holds a PEG ratio of 1.66. This popular figure is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also considers a company's expected EPS growth rate. ACI's industry has an average PEG of 2.69 right now. Over the last 12 months, ACI's PEG has been as high as 2.09 and as low as 0.93, with a median of 1.78.
Investors should also recognize that ACI has a P/B ratio of 3.11. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 5.33. ACI's P/B has been as high as 4.06 and as low as 3.11, with a median of 3.56, over the past year.
These are only a few of the key metrics included in Albertsons Companies's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, ACI looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.
Investors looking for stocks in the Consumer Products - Staples sector might want to consider either Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) or L'Oreal SA (LRLCY). But which of these two stocks presents investors with the better value opportunity right now?
BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons Companies announced the nationwide expansion of DriveUp & Go to include free curbside pickup for eligible pharmacy prescriptions.
AC Immune First Quarter 2026 Financial and Corporate Updates Dosed first subjects in Phase 1 trial of brain-penetrant small molecule NLRP3 inhibitor ACI-19764 with SAD/MAD results in healthy volunteers expected in H2 2026 Initiated final cohort, AD4, in ABATE Phase 1b/2 trial of ACI-24 to treat Alzheimer's Disease triggers milestone payment, as announced separately today Amended Morphomer® Tau collaboration with Lilly reflects growing excitement for targeting intracellular Tau and significant progress with our Morphomer® small molecules Approaching multiple milestones including 12-month interim results of the AD3 cohort in ABATE in Q2 2026 and full data from Part 1 of ACI-7104 VacSYn Phase 2 trial expected in H2 2026 Cash resources of CHF 74.8 million as of March 31, 2026, provide funding into Q4 2027 Lausanne, Switzerland, April 30, 2026 -- AC Immune SA (NASDAQ: ACIU), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering precision therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, today provided financial and corporate updates for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. Dr. Andrea Pfeifer, CEO of AC Immune SA, commented: “The progress in our collaborations with Takeda and Eli Lilly reflect great confidence in our anti-Abeta active immunotherapy and Tau aggregation inhibitor small molecules, respectively.
BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Albertsons Cos. Announces AI-Powered Supply Chain Tool to Further Enhance Produce Quality Control & Consistency; Uses Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise.
Albertsons shoppers are turning away from one of the supermarket giant’s most profitable aisles, in a worrying sign for the already-battered grocery chain.
The Idaho-based company’s latest annual report shows produce sales have softened, even though the section has traditionally been one of the biggest money-makers for the grocery business, The Street reported.
Albertsons — which operates hundreds of stores across California — reported sales have softened. REUTERS Consumers are reportedly changing how they fill their carts — opting for longer-lasting staples versus fresh produce. Bloomberg via Getty Images The drop suggests customers are changing how they fill their carts, potentially swapping fresh fruit and vegetables for cheaper, longer-lasting staples as household budgets remain tight.
It’s a troubling shift for Albertsons, which operates more than 2,200 stores nationwide, including 581 stores in California — under brands such as Albertsons, Safeway, Vons and Pavilions.
The company’s overall sales rose 3.5% in its most recent fiscal year, but its profits told a much darker tale, according to the company’s annual report.
Operating income was cut in half after Albertsons’ blockbuster merger with Kroger collapsed, while net income plunged to $217.4 million, down from $958.6 million the year before.
The grocer’s long-term debt and other liabilities also climbed about 8% to over $8 billion, according to the annual report.
Albertsons has also been hit by legal troubles — last month, the company agreed to a $774 million settlement aimed at resolving opioid-related claims brought against it nationwide, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The company has increasingly leaned on its pharmacy business to drive growth, with pharmacy sales accounting for 13.7% of total revenue.
That leaves Albertsons increasingly dependent on its pharmacy business at a time when the rest of the company is under mounting pressure.
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Albertsons wants to know whether a grape is bad before it ever reaches a store shelf.
To find out, the grocer built an artificial intelligence tool that uses computer vision and Google’s Gemini models to grade fresh produce inside its distribution centers, replacing the inspector-by-inspector judgments that have long determined what clears the quality threshold.
The tool, called Intelligent Quality Control, launched in select Albertsons distribution centers this month. A quality inspector feeds an image of the produce into the tool, which evaluates visual characteristics against Albertsons’ internal grading standards and returns a rating and recommendation, according to a Wednesday (May 13) press release. The inspector makes the final call. It’s live now for strawberries and red and green grapes, with the full berry section next in line and a nationwide rollout planned.
The Inconsistency Problem Produce quality inspection has always been a human problem with a human-shaped flaw. The same item might grade differently depending on the inspector, the shift, the warehouse or the hour. Across a network like Albertsons’ 22 distribution centers and 2,244 stores, small inconsistencies can compound.
Produce accounts for the largest share of surplus food generated by retailers in the United States, at 33.1% of the roughly 4 million tons that went unsold in 2024, ReFED reported. That’s not all traceable to grading decisions, but those decisions sit at the front of every freshness outcome that follows.
Albertsons Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Officer Evan Rainwater said in the release that early results showed the tool had reduced variability in quality ratings. The company didn’t release specific figures but said the system produces faster decisions and captures more granular quality data per inspection than the manual process allowed.
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“This is just the latest advancement in how we are using AI within our multibillion-dollar supply chain to improve operational efficiencies, improve product quality, and ultimately enhance customer satisfaction,” Rainwater said in the release.
Standardizing the Eye The case for computer vision here isn’t about replacing inspectors. It’s about giving them a consistent baseline. The AI applies the same visual criteria to every piece of fruit that moves through the system. Inspectors still approve the final rating.
The AI in food safety and quality control market was valued at $2.7 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $13.7 billion by 2029, at a compound annual growth rate of 30.9%, according to BCC Research. Most deployments in that market run on manufacturing and processing lines. Albertsons built its tool in-house, positioned it at the distribution center level, and designed it around its own proprietary grading standards rather than a generic quality model.
That distinction matters for how the system performs. Generic visual inspection tools can identify obvious defects. A tool trained on a retailer’s internal standards grades against the same criteria the chain uses to make buying and markdown decisions, keeping the inspection layer consistent with the commercial layer.
Where the Data Goes Next The system captures granular quality measures per inspection, building a data layer that didn’t exist when inspectors logged grades manually. That record can show how produce quality varies by supplier, origin or other variables. Consistent grading is what makes that analysis usable.
The Intelligent Quality Control tool is the latest product of Albertsons’ partnership with Google Cloud. In 2025, Albertsons was among the first grocers to launch Google Cloud’s Conversational Commerce agent as a customer-facing shopping assistant. The supply chain tool follows that deployment with AI applied to the distribution layer.
Albertsons plans to expand the system across more fresh products, the release said.
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Shoppers in local communities across several states may discover that they have fewer supermarkets to choose from this year.
Grocery giant Albertsons Companies has continued to close stores in recent months as it reevaluates its store footprint in the wake of a failed merger with The Kroger Company.
So far in 2026, at least a dozen locations have closed or have been marked for closure, according to an analysis of local media reports, online review platforms, and Albertsons’ own store locator tools.
The closures have impacted stores across Albertsons’ portfolio of grocery and supermarket chains, including Acme, Balducci’s, Randalls, Safeway, and Vons, in addition to banner Albertsons stores.
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More than half of the closures were in California and Texas, with locations also shuttered in New Jersey, Connecticut, Nevada, and Washington, D.C.
As reported in April, Albertsons ended its 2025 fiscal year with 2,244 physical stores, a net decline of 26 when compared to the previous year.
Grocery store closures can have an especially corrosive impact on local communities. Researchers have long documented the rise of food deserts in low-income areas, which they attribute in part to industry consolidation.
Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.
Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.
Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.
What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.
Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.
The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:
Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.
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VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.
How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.
It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.7% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.
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To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.
Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.
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Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.
Stock to Watch: Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) Headquartered in Boise, ID, Albertsons Companies, Inc. is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States. The company operates food and drug retail stores that offer grocery products, general merchandise, health and beauty care products, pharmacy, fuel and other items and services. Albertsons went public on June 26, 2020.
ACI is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.
It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 7.18; value investors should take notice.
For fiscal 2027, three analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.00 to $2.26 per share. ACI boasts an average earnings surprise of +8.9%.
With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, ACI should be on investors' short list.
Investors in Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI - Free Report) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the June 5, 2026 $7 Call had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.
What is Implied Volatility?Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy.
What do the Analysts Think?Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Albertsons shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Albertsons is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) in the Consumer Products – Staples industry that ranks in the Bottom 31% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, no analyst increased the earnings estimates for the current quarter, while six have dropped their estimates. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from 60 cents per share to 55 cents in that period.
Given the way analysts feel about Albertsons right now, this huge implied volatility could mean there’s a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected.
SANTA ANA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First American Mortgage Solutions, LLC, a part of the First American (NYSE: FAF) family of companies, today announced that its ACI Sky™ Workbench platform has been verified by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to support the Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6 specifications. UAD 3.6 appraisal reports will be required by the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) for new appraisal reports submitted to the Uniform Collateral Data Portal® (UCDP®) on and after Nov. 2,.
WHAT:
The American Cornerstone Institute (ACI) will host the premiere of Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie!, a new family-friendly film designed to inspire patriotism, faith, and civic understanding in young Americans through storytelling and music.
The event will include a red-carpet experience, family activities, and a special screening of the film featuring beloved historical characters and notable public figures.
Created as part of ACI’s commemoration of America’s 250th birthday, the film supports the organization’s mission to educate and inspire the next generation through America’s founding principles and shared history.
WHO:
Dr. Ben Carson, Founder and Chairman of the American Cornerstone InstituteCast members and special guests from Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie! WHEN:
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Red Carpet begins at 3:00 PM ET
Premiere begins at 4:30 PM ET
WHERE:
Trump Kennedy Center
2700 F St NW, Washington, DC 20566
Media Opportunities:
Red carpet arrivalsInterviews with Dr. Ben Carson and special guestsEvent B-roll and screening footage
Media Credentials:
Members of the media planning to attend must register for press credentials by applying online HERE. Credentialing information and event logistics will be provided upon confirmation.
About the Film:
Star Spangled Adventures: The Movie! is an animated family film designed to bring the story of America to life for the next generation. Created as part of the American Cornerstone Institute’s Little Patriots initiative, the film expands on the popular Star Spangled Adventures cartoon series and debuts as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. As a Freedom 250 partner, the American Cornerstone Institute is among the national network of organizations honoring America’s past and strengthening its foundation for the future.
