Inside a $75 Million Albertsons Stock Sale as Shares Sink 8% in a Year

On February 17, 2026, Parsifal Capital Management disclosed a sale of 4,239,655 shares of Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI), with an estimated transaction value of $75.60 million based on quarterly average pricing.

What happened

According to a February 17, 2026, SEC filing, Parsifal Capital Management reduced its position in Albertsons Companies by 4,239,655 shares. The estimated transaction value is $75.60 million, calculated using the average unadjusted closing price during the fourth quarter of 2025. The quarter-end value of the stake dropped by $75.08 million, a change that includes both the share sale and the impact of price movements.

What else to know

• This sale brings the holding to 3.48% of 13F AUM, down from 10.9% in the previous quarter.
• Top holdings after the filing:
  • NYSE:SN: $134.27 million (13.5% of AUM)
  • NYSE:HGV: $110.78 million (11.2% of AUM)
  • NYSE:GMED: $106.76 million (10.8% of AUM)
  • NYSE:TEVA: $88.01 million (8.9% of AUM)
  • NYSE:GXO: $75.89 million (7.6% of AUM)
• As of February 17, 2026, shares of Albertsons Companies were priced at $18.47, down 7.7% over the past year and underperforming the S&P 500 by 20.48 percentage points.

Company overview

Company snapshot

• Albertsons Companies operates a network of grocery stores, pharmacies, fuel centers, and in-store coffee shops, offering a wide range of grocery, general merchandise, pharmacy, and private-label food products.
• The company generates revenue primarily through in-store retail sales, pharmacy services, fuel sales, and its own manufacturing and processing of food products for sale under various banners.
• Its primary customers are individual consumers across the United States, served through more than 2,200 store locations under well-known regional brands.

Albertsons Companies, Inc. is one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, operating thousands of stores under multiple regional banners. The company's vertically integrated business model, including in-house food manufacturing and distribution, supports its scale and efficiency. Its broad store footprint and diverse product offerings position Albertsons as a key player in the competitive grocery sector.

What this transaction means for investors

Trimming Albertsons from roughly 10.9% of assets to just 3.5% meaningfully reduces exposure to a defensive grocery operator, but frees up capital for higher growth or more idiosyncratic bets. That stands out in a portfolio now led by names like SharkNinja, Hilton Grand Vacations, Globus Medical, Teva, and GXO, which skew toward consumer products, healthcare, and logistics rather than low-margin food retail.

Operationally, Albertsons remains steady. Third quarter net sales rose 1.9% to $19.1 billion, identical sales increased 2.4%, and digital sales jumped a very notable 21%. The company also reiterated full-year identical sales growth of 2.2% to 2.5%.

Shares, nonetheless, are down 7.7% over the past year, trailing the broader market. For long term investors, the appeal is cash flow durability and scale across more than 2,200 stores. But with margins under pressure from pharmacy mix and digital fulfillment costs, this looks like a portfolio shift away from steady compounding toward opportunities with greater upside torque, and not necessarily a broken story that can’t be fixed.

Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Globus Medical and SharkNinja. The Motley Fool recommends GXO Logistics. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.