Update: Market Chatter: Albertsons Faces $900 Million Washington Judgment in Opioid Case

01:36 PM EST, 11/05/2026 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with Albertsons' response in the fourth paragraph.) Albertsons (ACI) must pay Washington state $900 million for helping fuel the opioid epidemic by failing to prevent misuse of addictive painkillers through its pharmacies, Reuters reported Thursday, citing a ruling by King County Superior Court Judge Janet Helson. Washington declined to join Albertsons' $774 million nationwide opioid settlement and instead pursued a lawsuit filed in 2022, seeking $2.2 billion over allegations that the company's pharmacies improperly filled more than 6.5 million opioid prescriptions from 2006 to 2022 despite red flags signaling they could be diverted for illicit use, the report said. Albertsons denied wrongdoing, arguing that its pharmacies dispensed legal drugs prescribed by doctors, according to the report. Albertsons told MT Newswires in an emailed statement that it disagrees with the court's ruling and is reviewing the decision, adding that it will evaluate all available options, including an appeal. (Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.) Price: 13.13, Change: -0.61, Percent Change: -4.44