ACI Stock: The Surprising Truth Behind Recent Moves

The detailed monthy forecast below outlines the model’s expectations for ACI’s price evolution ($15.49 to $30.44). It includes projected ranges (Min, Avg, Max), potential ROI based on the average projection versus the current price, and a derived model signal for each period.

Over the forecast horizon (2025-08 to 2026-08), ACI’s price is projected by the model to fluctuate between approximately $15.49 and $30.44.

The projected price range remains relatively consistent (from $19.55 – $19.55 to $15.49 – $30.44), implying stable forecast uncertainty.

ACI demonstrates, with its Trailing P/E at 11.80x and Forward P/E at 8.53x, suggests an attractive valuation opportunity. This suggests potential earnings growth expectations Meanwhile, its Price/Sales ratio of 0.13x and Price/Book of 3.38x show that the company trades at multiples that warrant attention. These metrics provide insight into market positioning.

From an enterprise value perspective, The enterprise value to revenue ratio of 0.31x indicates reasonable revenue-based valuation, and its the EV/EBITDA multiple of 6.81x suggests reasonable earnings-based valuation. These valuation metrics provide a comprehensive view of the company’s current market positioning.

Although the market considers Albertsons Companies, Inc. to be a key player in the Grocery Stores industry with a 10.84 B market cap, its enterprise value is much higher at 24.99 B, with 14.15B of that value added by debt. Investors are confident about Albertsons Companies, Inc.’s future earnings, but keep in mind the risk of that large amount of debt.

The valuation ratios tell an interesting story: at 0.31x revenue and 6.81x EBITDA, Albertsons Companies, Inc. appears attractively valued compared to many peers. This reflects the company’s strong market position and brand assets. But it also means the stock may have little room for error. The upcoming 2025-07-15 earnings report will be crucial in showing whether Albertsons Companies, Inc.’s businesses can grow into this valuation, while the 2025-07-25 ex-dividend date serves as a reminder that Albertsons Companies, Inc. still rewards shareholders even as it invests for growth. Essentially, you’re paying for quality – but quality doesn’t come cheap.

An analysis of the key metrics in ACI’s margin performance shows the company has solid control over its costs and prices. The company is successful in controlling its production costs, as shown by the gross margin of 27.37%, and it also profits well from its core operations, reflected in the 1.81% operating margin. A 4.53% EBITDA margin indicates ACI is capable of generating strong cash flow from its operations before accounting for financing and tax strategies. All things considered, ACI can hold onto around $1.180 in net profit for every $1 of its revenue over the last twelve months. While the business’s revenue is increasing at an aggressive rate (2.50%), investors should monitor if this pace can be sustained without eroding profit margins.

ACI’s 3.67 B in EBITDA and 22.17 B in gross profit indicate its raw earning power, while the 954.30 M in net income reveals how effectively it converts that power into bottom-line results. The company appears to be balancing its pursuit of growth with the need to maintain profitability. Despite healthy gross margins, there is a significant difference between the company’s gross and net margins (27.37% vs. 1.18%). This is likely due to high operating expenses, interest costs, or taxes, which are key areas for investors to watch. In the future, maintaining steady or improving margins will be critical. ACI needs to defend its pricing power and control operating costs, as this will help sustain profitability, especially if revenue growth moderates.

This section summarizes the collective view of professional analysts covering ACI. The consensus recommendation is ‘Buy’. 18 analyst(s) contributed to this consensus view. The mean price target is $24.36, with individual targets ranging from $19.00 – $29.00. The average target ($24.36) suggests roughly 22.7% potential upside compared to the current price ($19.86). This provides a gauge of Wall Street sentiment regarding the stock’s potential.

ACIs financial data clearly shows that strengths and weaknesses can appear together. The ROE and ROA of 31.10% and 4.55%, respectively, reflect a highly efficient use of capital, often seen in fast-growing firms. The 4.44x Debt/Equity ratio (with 14.31 B in debt and 166.40 M in cash) points to the fact that ACI has taken on a very high level of debt to fuel its operations and growth. Even with its debt, the company’s ability to bring in 2.47 B in operating cash flow (TTM) proves that its core business can steadily produce cash, which is a significant strength.

The Current Ratio of 0.82x and Quick Ratio of 0.14x show potential liquidity issues that might cause trouble if the company’s cash cycle lengthens. Furthermore, ACI’s 1.23 B in levered free cash flow suggests it can still generate significant cash for shareholders even after meeting its financial obligations. For investors, this means that while cash flows appear to cover its debts for now, there is not much space for mistakes. If business results fall or interest rates are high when it tries to refinance, the company could be put under increased financial stress.

In the recent trading period from July 24, 2025 to August 07, 2025, ACI’s stock price achieved a total return of -2.60%. The price fluctuated between a high of $20.65 and a low of $19.17. Average daily trading volume was approximately 5,650,033 shares.

There is currently 19 M worth of short interest in ACI, and the short ratio (or days to cover) is 2.7x. This means that at the stock’s recent average trading volume, it would take around 3 days for all short positions to be covered. This low level suggests that short sellers do not currently have significant control over the stock’s price, and the risk of a prolonged ‘short squeeze’ is relatively low.

With 4.69% of the public float sold short, a moderate percentage of the stock is being shorted, showing some bearish sentiment but not an extreme level. This level has increased recently from 18 M, suggesting a shift in bearish sentiment. Because the amount of investors shorting is generally low, the market tends to feel more confident and the risks of price swings from sudden short-covering activities are reduced.

When looking at the price range over the past year, the stock has seen a high of $23.20 and a low of $17.00. This moderate gap indicates the stock has experienced notable price swings over the year. Currently, the 50-day moving average stands at $20.82, which is slightly below the 200-day moving average of $21.01. This setup may signal a short-term pullback or consolidation phase, especially for technical traders tracking momentum and trend direction.

With a beta of 0.31x, the stock tends to be less volatile than the broader market, moving about 69% less. Combined with a moderate 30-day annualized volatility of 24.3%, it’s clear this stock sees frequent price swings. For investors, this means potential for gains, but also higher downside risk. These indicators matter when deciding position sizing or entry timing, especially if you’re managing a portfolio that balances stability with growth exposure.

Investing in ACI involves various risks. This section outlines potential factors identified through data analysis and general market considerations. It is not exhaustive.