ZACKSยท2025-04-16 23:35Group 1: Market Performance - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Albertsons Companies (ACI) stocks have provided a hedge against market volatility, with both stocks up 6% year to date [1] - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are near correction territory, highlighting the defensive nature of JNJ and ACI [1] Group 2: Johnson & Johnson Q1 Results - JNJ's Q1 sales rose 2% to $21.89 billion, exceeding estimates of $21.61 billion, driven by DARZALEX, which saw a 20% growth [2] - Q1 earnings increased 2% to $2.77 per share, surpassing EPS expectations of $2.57 by 7.78% [3] - JNJ has maintained an average earnings surprise of 5.71% over the last four quarters [3] Group 3: Albertsons Q4 Results - Albertsons' Q4 sales increased 2% to $18.79 billion, surpassing estimates of $18.62 billion, with E-commerce sales spiking 24% [4] - Q4 EPS of $0.46 beat expectations of $0.40, although it fell from $0.54 in the comparative quarter [5] - Albertsons has achieved or exceeded the Zacks EPS Consensus in each of the last four quarters with an average earnings surprise of 7.21% [7] Group 4: Guidance & Outlook - JNJ raised its full-year sales guidance to $91 billion-$91.8 billion, above the Zacks Consensus of $89.99 billion, with projected sales growth of 4% in FY26 [8] - JNJ lowered its FY25 EPS guidance to a range of $10.50-$10.70, aligning with estimates of $10.51, indicating 5% growth [9] - Albertsons provided FY26 EPS guidance of $2.03-$2.16, below expectations of $2.33, but FY27 EPS is projected to rebound to $2.44 [11] - Albertsons' sales are expected to increase 3% in FY26 and another 1% in FY27 to $83.25 billion [11] Group 5: Overall Assessment - Both JNJ and ACI currently hold a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), indicating defensive safety due to the essential nature of their businesses, though there may be better buying opportunities given their guidance [12]