Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) experienced a pre-market plunge of 8.57% following the release of its first-quarter fiscal 2026 results and a significant leadership announcement.

The grocery retailer reported adjusted earnings per share of $0.42 for the quarter, falling short of the Ibes estimate of $0.54. Adjusted net income came in at $210.3 million, also missing the estimated $263.7 million. While revenue slightly exceeded expectations, the earnings miss appears to have disappointed investors.

Further pressure came from the company's full-year outlook, which projected adjusted EPS in the range of $1.75 to $1.85, significantly below the analyst estimate of $2.27. The company also forecast identical sales growth to be between -1.5% and -0.5% for the fiscal year. Concurrently, Albertsons announced that President and Chief Financial Officer Sharon McCollam plans to retire later this year, adding an element of leadership transition uncertainty to the market's concerns.