Albertsons says AI is to thank for shoppers spending more

Albertsons' request for a midtrial win in Washington's opioid lawsuit was denied by a state judge, allowing the case to proceed. The state accuses Albertsons and its Safeway subsidiary of contributing to the opioid crisis.

Albertsons will close additional Safeway stores in 2026 as it reassesses its footprint after its proposed $24.6 billion merger with Kroger was blocked and terminated in Dec 2024. The company reported 35 closures in fiscal 2025 and a 0.8% decline in Q1 identical grocery sales, with full-year identical sales expected down 1.5% to 0.5%.

Sanjay and Rupal Mandavia filed a mandatory open offer for 26% of ACI Infocom’s emerging voting share capital, after a preferential allotment approved Aug 10, 2026. They will pay ₹1.53/share for up to 3,70,47,634 shares, valuing the offer at up to ₹5.67 crore. ACI Infocom plans to shift from IT to aviation, aerospace and defence. FY26 total income fell to ₹54.38 lakh and net loss widened to ₹185.41 lakh.

Albertsons Companies said it is voluntarily recalling four ready-to-eat products containing jalapeños supplied by Taylor Farms, including items sold at Randalls in Texas. The recall followed a supplier recall tied to an ongoing federal investigation and an FDA probe of a Salmonella Javiana outbreak. FDA reported 345 illnesses in 27 states, 36 hospitalizations, no deaths.

Albertsons (ACI) reported fiscal 2026 Q1 net sales of $24.94B, up 0.2% YoY, but identical sales fell 0.8%. Adjusted EPS dropped to 42 cents from 55 cents. The company launched ACI Edge and cut its fiscal 2026 outlook to identical sales decline of 1.5% to 0.5% and adjusted EPS to $1.75 to $1.85. ACI raised its dividend and repurchased shares.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI) rose 5.4% to $12.21 after UBS and other analysts downgraded the stock to Neutral or lower and cut price targets by an average 37%. UBS lowered its target to $12 from $20, Citigroup to $11 from $17, and JP Morgan to $14 from $20. The nine-firm average target is $13.