Finances

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) reported its third quarter earnings report on Wednesday, January 7. The grocer reported lower-than-expected revenue, causing its stock to dip slightly after the release of the report.

The company reported net sales of $19.12 billion for the quarter. This is up from $18.77 billion reported at the same time last year but was below analysts’ estimates of $19.18 billion.

“In the third quarter, we delivered solid results and continued to advance our strategic priorities,” said Albertsons CEO, Susan Morris. “Our investments in technology and AI are fundamentally reshaping how we operate and serve our customers; driving smarter decisions, greater efficiency, and more personalized experiences. As we look ahead, I am confident that our modernized technology foundation, relentless focus on productivity, and commitment to innovation will enable us to deliver sustainable long-term value for our customers, associates, and shareholders"

The company reported net income of $293.3 million or $0.55 per adjusted share. This was a decrease from the same quarter last year when Albertsons reported net income of $400.6 million or $0.69 per adjusted share.

Albertsons’s boost in net sales was driven by the company’s 2.4% increase in identical sales. Digital sales increased by 21%, and the number of loyalty members grew by 12% to 49.8 million members. Albertsons’s gross margin rate decreased compared to the prior year, coming in at 27.4% during the quarter. The company’s selling and administrative expenses were 24.9% of net sales. The company also announced a quarterly dividend payment of $0.15 per share to be paid on February 6, 2026, to stockholders of record on January 23, 2026.

Albertsons Companies, Inc. (ACI) shares ended the week at $16.66, down 4% for the week.

Helen of Troy Releases Earnings Report

Helen of Troy Limited (HELE) reported its third quarter earnings on Thursday, January 8. The consumer products company reported a decrease in revenue and earnings, causing its stock to drop 6% after the release of the report.

Helen of Troy reported sales of $512.8 million in the third quarter. This was a decline from $530.7 million reported at this time last year but was above analysts’ expectations of $505.4 million.

“We delivered third quarter results in line with our outlook and are making progress toward stabilizing the business despite the challenging external environment,” said Helen of Troy CEO, G. Scott Uzzell. “We are sharpening our priorities and placing the consumer at the center of everything we do – investing in innovation, strengthening brand loyalty, and advancing commercial excellence. I am confident that we are taking the right steps to position us to deliver sustained revenue and profit growth and create long-term value for all stakeholders.”

Helen of Troy posted net loss of $84.1 million or $3.65 per diluted share. This was down from net income of $49.6 million or $2.17 per diluted share at this time last year.

The parent company of brands such as Hydro Flask, OXO, Braun and Honeywell reported a 6.7% decrease in their Home & Outdoor revenue to $229.6 million. This decrease was primarily driven by continued competition, lower replenishment orders and a decrease in club channel sales in the insulated beverageware category. The company saw a 0.5% decrease in revenue for their Beauty & Wellness segment to $283.2 million. The company attributed the decrease in revenues to reduced consumer demand, increased competition, lower closeout channel sales and the cancellation of direct import orders from China in response to higher tariffs. The company expects net sales in fiscal 2026 to be in the range of $1.758 billion to $1.773 billion.

Helen of Troy Limited (HELE) shares ended the week at $19.40, down 5% for the week.

Acuity Announces Quarterly Results

Acuity Inc. (AYI) announced its first quarter results on Thursday, January 8. The technology company’s stock dropped by about 13% following the release of the report.

The company’s net sales reached $1.14 billion for the first quarter, up 20% from $951.6 million during the same period last year. This was in line with analysts’ expectations for the quarter.

“We delivered strong performance in our first quarter of fiscal 2026,” said Acuity CEO, Neil Ashe. “We grew net sales, we expanded our adjusted operating profit and adjusted operating profit margin, and we increased our adjusted diluted earnings per share. We generated strong cash flow and allocated capital effectively.”

Acuity reported quarterly net income of $120.5 million or $3.82 per adjusted share. This was an increase from $106.7 million in net income or $3.35 per adjusted share during the same period last year.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based industrial technology manufacturer saw an increase in sales in its two main segments. Net sales for the Acuity Brands Lighting (ABL) segment increased by 1% to $895.1 million in the first quarter. Acuity’s Intelligent Spaces (AIS) segment also saw growth in sales with an increase of 250.2% to reach $257.4 million. For fiscal 2026, the company expects net sales to be in the range of $4.7 billion to $4.9 billion.

Acuity Inc. (AYI) shares ended the week at $325.55, down 13% for the week.

The Dow started the week of 1/5 at 48,476 and closed at 49,504 on 1/9. The S&P 500 started the week at 6,892 and ended at 6,966. The NASDAQ started the week at 23,450 and finished at 23,671.

U.S. Treasury yields varied early in the week as investors waited for the latest data on private-sector job creation for December. Yields moved higher towards the end of the week after jobless claims increased by less than expected.

On Wednesday, ADP reported that private sector hiring rose slightly less than expected in December, suggesting the labor market remains on relatively steady footing. The payroll processing company detailed that private payrolls increased by 41,000 in December, above the loss of 29,000 in November and below analysts’ expectations of a 48,000 increase.

“We do not see a big uptick in layoffs,” said chief economist at ADP, Dr. Nela Richardson. “I think that puts the Fed in a reasonably balanced risk position in 2026 where they are trying to figure out this muddled middle between sticky inflation and a slowing — but not tanking — labor market.”

The benchmark 10-year Treasury note yield opened the week of January 5 at 4.20% and traded as low as 4.13% on Wednesday. The 30-year Treasury bond opened the week at 4.88% and traded as low as 4.81% on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that initial claims for unemployment increased by 8,000 to 208,000 for the week ending January 3. This was less than the 210,000 claims that analysts anticipated. Continuing claims increased by 56,000 to 1.91 million. On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its monthly jobs report for December which indicated the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.4% in December. The report also noted an increase of 50,000 jobs in December, below economists’ forecasts of 55,000.

“The United States is in a jobless boom," said chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, Heather Long. “There was almost no hiring in 2025…we would be talking about job losses in 2025, if it were not for health care and social assistance.”

The 10-year Treasury note yield finished the week of 1/5 at 4.18%, while the 30-year Treasury note yield finished the week at 4.82%.

Freddie Mac released its latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey on Thursday, January 8. The survey showed mortgage rates slightly increased after weeks of declines.

This week, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 6.16%, up from last week’s average of 6.15%. Last year at this time, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 6.93%.

The 15-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 5.46% this week, up from last week’s 5.44%. During the same week last year, the 15-year fixed rate mortgage averaged 6.14%.

“In the first full week of the new year, mortgage rates remained within a narrow range, hovering close to the 6% mark,” said Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist, Sam Khater. “The combination of solid economic growth and lower rates has led to improving momentum in for-sale residential demand, with purchase applications up over 20% from a year ago.”

Based on published national averages, the savings rate was 0.39% as of 12/15. The one-year CD averaged 1.63%.

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