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ACI vs KR
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Albertsons Companies (ACI) vs. The Kroger Co. (KR) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- ACI and KR operate in the same grocery retail sector and face similar pressures from cautious consumers and pharmacy reimbursement changes under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
- ACI reported weaker identical sales in its most recent quarter and sharply reduced full-year guidance, contributing to underperformance relative to broader market indices in recent weeks.
- KR delivered an earnings beat in its latest quarter, maintained full-year profit guidance despite a modest sales outlook reduction, and highlighted growth in e-commerce and retail media.
- ACI offers a higher dividend yield near 5%, while KR provides a lower but growing yield around 2.6% with a longer track record of increases.
- KR maintains significantly larger scale with a market capitalization exceeding $35 billion compared to ACI’s approximately $5.9 billion.
- Recent market activity shows KR exhibiting greater resilience in relative performance amid shared sector headwinds.
Introduction
Albertsons Companies (ACI) and The Kroger Co. (KR) are two major U.S. grocery retailers whose stocks provide a useful lens for comparing performance within the consumer staples sector. Both companies navigate identical challenges, including softening unit sales trends and regulatory impacts on pharmacy operations. This comparison appeals to value-oriented investors and traders seeking exposure to defensive consumer names, as well as those evaluating relative positioning between a smaller regional operator and a larger national player. The analysis draws on recent quarterly results, guidance updates, and observable market behavior to highlight contrasts in execution and positioning.
ACI Overview and Recent Performance
Albertsons Companies (ACI) operates a network of grocery stores, pharmacies, and related services across the United States. In recent market activity, the stock has traded near $12.30 amid broader sector caution. The company reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 results showing an 0.8% decline in identical sales, prompting management to lower full-year identical sales guidance to a range of -1.5% to -0.5%. In response, Albertsons launched the ACI Edge initiative to consolidate operations from 11 divisions into four regions and centralize merchandising functions. Leadership changes, including the appointment of Meg Whitman as executive chair, accompanied these efforts. The stock has reflected these developments with notable volatility in recent weeks, while maintaining an elevated dividend yield.
KR Overview and Recent Performance
The Kroger Co. (KR) is one of the largest U.S. grocery retailers, with extensive operations in food, pharmacy, and fuel. In recent market activity, shares have traded near $59.70 following second-quarter fiscal 2026 results. The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $1.09, exceeding consensus estimates, alongside revenue of $34.62 billion. Identical sales excluding fuel rose 0.2%, supported by e-commerce growth of 20% and retail media expansion. Although full-year identical sales guidance was trimmed to 0.2%–0.8%, management reaffirmed adjusted earnings per share targets of $5.10–$5.30. The stock has demonstrated relative stability compared with peers during the period, bolstered by consistent dividend growth and share repurchases.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Both companies share exposure to grocery retail and pharmacy, yet differ markedly in scale and recent execution. KR operates with substantially greater revenue and market capitalization, providing broader geographic reach and diversified revenue streams including fuel. In contrast, ACI has pursued operational simplification through its ACI Edge program to improve agility. Recent momentum favors KR, which beat earnings expectations and preserved profit guidance, while ACI implemented deeper guidance reductions following softer sales. Risk factors for both include consumer spending restraint and IRA-related pharmacy pressures; however, ACI carries a higher dividend yield alongside elevated valuation multiples in certain metrics. Market sentiment has reflected greater near-term stability for the larger operator amid shared sector dynamics.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as earnings consistency, guidance stability, and relative market positioning in recent periods, Tickeron’s AI models would currently assign a higher probabilistic preference to KR. The company’s ability to deliver an earnings beat while maintaining profit targets, combined with demonstrated growth in higher-margin areas like e-commerce and retail media, supports this assessment. ACI shows potential through restructuring initiatives and yield, yet faces more pronounced near-term headwinds in sales trends. This view reflects pattern recognition across multiple data inputs rather than a definitive forecast.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is ACI is a Buy and KR is a Buy.
ACI | KR | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 75 | 22 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 13 Undervalued | 16 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 51 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 86 | 58 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 74 | 55 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 2 | 7 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 75 | 65 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
ACI's Valuation (13) in the null industry is in the same range as KR (16) in the Food Retail industry. This means that ACI’s stock grew similarly to KR’s over the last 12 months.
KR's Profit vs Risk Rating (51) in the Food Retail industry is somewhat better than the same rating for ACI (100) in the null industry. This means that KR’s stock grew somewhat faster than ACI’s over the last 12 months.
KR's SMR Rating (58) in the Food Retail industry is in the same range as ACI (86) in the null industry. This means that KR’s stock grew similarly to ACI’s over the last 12 months.
KR's Price Growth Rating (55) in the Food Retail industry is in the same range as ACI (74) in the null industry. This means that KR’s stock grew similarly to ACI’s over the last 12 months.
ACI's P/E Growth Rating (2) in the null industry is in the same range as KR (7) in the Food Retail industry. This means that ACI’s stock grew similarly to KR’s over the last 12 months.
| ACI | KR | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 52% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 67% | 2 days ago 51% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 57% | 2 days ago 66% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 49% | 2 days ago 60% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 57% | 2 days ago 50% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 46% | 2 days ago 59% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 9 days ago 49% | 9 days ago 55% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 56% | 2 days ago 49% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 48% | 2 days ago 56% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 51% | 2 days ago 52% |
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is overvalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
ACI’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green while KR’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- ACI’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- KR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
ACI’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while KR’s TA Score has 6 bullish TA indicator(s).
- ACI’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- KR’s TA Score: 6 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
ACI (@Food Retail) experienced а -6.00% price change this week, while KR (@Food Retail) price change was -5.93% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food Retail industry was -1.37%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -4.67%, and the average quarterly price growth was -7.16%.
Reported Earning Dates
ACI is expected to report earnings on Oct 20, 2026.
KR is expected to report earnings on Nov 26, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Food Retail (-1.37% weekly)The food retail industry includes companies that sell food, beverage and household products. Items sold include grocery, gourmet food, fresh produce, and frozen food. Kroger Co., George Weston Ltd., Grocery Outlet Holding Corp., and Sprouts Farmers Markets, Inc. are examples of major food retailers. While e-commerce companies like Amazon have increasingly been ramping-up offerings in the food retail space, several traditional players have also been expanding their online presence to stand their ground against rising competition.
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ACI and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, ACI has been loosely correlated with KR. These tickers have moved in lockstep 57% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if ACI jumps, then KR could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To ACI | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACI | 100% | -0.41% | ||
| KR - ACI | 57% Loosely correlated | -1.89% | ||
| IMKTA - ACI | 41% Loosely correlated | +0.89% | ||
| WMK - ACI | 41% Loosely correlated | -0.44% | ||
| NGVC - ACI | 38% Loosely correlated | -2.65% | ||
| SFM - ACI | 26% Poorly correlated | +0.03% | ||
More | ||||
KR and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KR has been loosely correlated with ACI. These tickers have moved in lockstep 60% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if KR jumps, then ACI could also see price increases.