Albertsons Companies Inc vs Core and Main Inc — how do they compare? Albertsons Companies Inc trades at $12.12 (market cap $5.95B), while Core and Main Inc trades at $45.87 (market cap $8.73B). The key difference: Core and Main Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Albertsons Companies Inc pays a 5.55% dividend while Core and Main Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ACI | CNM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $5.95B | $8.73B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $19.74 | $66.98 |
52-Week Low | $11.03 | $42.37 |
Enterprise Value | $21.35B | $11.02B |
Dividend Yield | 5.55% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Albertsons (ACI) trades at $12.13, up 1.0% on the day, but remains near multi-year lows after a sharp 22% drop following Q2 2026 earnings miss and lowered guidance. The stock shows a bearish technical trend with neutral oscillators. Fundamentally, revenue grew to $80.39B in 2025, but net income margin compressed to 0.08%, reflecting margin pressure. Recent news highlights CEO and CFO stock purchases, AI initiatives like the Safeway ChatGPT plugin, and ongoing shareholder litigation investigations.
The outlook is cautious; ACI presents a deep-value case with low P/S of 0.08, but execution risks and weak profitability trends pose challenges. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $13.20 price target. Key risks include competitive grocery margins, litigation overhangs, and macroeconomic headwinds affecting consumer spending.
Core & Main (CNM) trades at $45.85, down 0.97% on the day, with a bullish technical signal despite mixed moving averages. The company reported strong Q1 2026 earnings of $0.57 per share, beating estimates, and maintains solid fundamentals including a 23.73% ROE and 5.87% net margin. Recent news highlights institutional activity, such as California State Teachers Retirement System increasing its stake by 22.3% in Q1 2026 (Defense World, 2026-08-04).
The outlook is positive with analyst consensus at 57% buy ratings, supported by revenue growth to $7.6B in 2026 and expanding margins. Risks include high debt levels at $2.24B long-term and competitive pressures in the tools sector. Investors should monitor execution against FY26 guidance of $7.8–$7.9B revenue.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Albertsons is the second-largest traditional grocer in America, operating 2,276 stores under 24 banners in 34 states (as of the end of fiscal 2021). Around 75% of stores have pharmacies, while nearly 20% also sell fuel. Albertsons has a significant private-label operation, accounting for around 20% of sales (excluding fuel). While its own brand assortment is mainly manufactured by third parties, Albertsons operates 20 food production plants (as of the end of fiscal 2021). Albertsons is a top-two grocer in two thirds of its major markets (as of early 2022, according to company data), and virtually all of its sales come from the United States.
Read more on ACI →Core & Main is a leading US distributor of water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products. It provides essential infrastructure solutions to municipalities, private water companies, and contractors.
Read more on CNM →