Albertsons Companies Inc. (NYSE:ACI) reported fourth-quarter results on Tuesday, with earnings coming in ahead of expectations while revenue fell short of forecasts.
Adjusted earnings per share were $0.48, exceeding the analyst estimate of $0.43. Revenue totaled $20.3 billion, below the $20.49 billion consensus estimate, but still higher than the $18.8 billion reported in the same period last year, which included one fewer week.
Identical sales rose 0.7% during the quarter, weighed down by pharmacy pricing pressures linked to the Inflation Reduction Act and shifts in business mix. Digital sales increased 16%, while loyalty program membership grew 12% to 51.2 million members.
For fiscal 2026, Albertsons issued adjusted EPS guidance of $2.22 to $2.32, with a midpoint of $2.27, slightly below the analyst consensus of $2.29.
Shares gained 0.5% in premarket trading following the results.
“Fiscal 2025 was a year of disciplined execution and resilience, as we closed the year with a solid fourth quarter that delivered strong Adjusted EBITDA despite meaningful top-line pharmacy-related headwinds,” said Susan Morris, CEO of Albertsons Companies.
The company reported a net loss of $480.8 million, or -$0.94 per share, including a $599.8 million after-tax charge related to an opioid settlement framework. Excluding this item, adjusted net income was $251.7 million.
Adjusted EBITDA came in at $903.4 million, up from $855.1 million a year earlier, supported in part by an estimated $68 million contribution from the extra week.
Albertsons also announced a 13% increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.17 per share and expanded its share repurchase authorization to $2.0 billion.
For fiscal 2026, the company expects identical sales growth of between 0.0% and 1.0%, reflecting an estimated 150 basis point headwind from Medicare drug price negotiations, and adjusted EBITDA in the range of $3.85 billion to $3.93 billion.