Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Acuity (NYSE:AYI) has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy”, based on coverage from nine brokerages: five rate it a buy and four rate it a hold. The average 12-month price target is about $369.17.
• The company recently reported better-than-expected EPS of $4.14, though revenue of $1.06 billion came in slightly below estimates. Quarterly revenue still rose 4.9% year over year, and analysts expect full-year EPS of 18.06.
• Acuity also paid a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share, and there was notable insider buying from two directors, while institutional investors continue to own the vast majority of the stock.

Shares of Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" by the nine brokerages that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $369.1667.

Several research firms recently weighed in on AYI. Wall Street Zen raised Acuity from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, April 12th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Acuity from $320.00 to $315.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings cut Acuity from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Acuity from $342.00 to $295.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Acuity from $385.00 to $370.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd.

Acuity Stock Performance

NYSE:AYI opened at $280.87 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $8.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.59, a PEG ratio of 1.66 and a beta of 1.31. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $288.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $311.85. The company has a current ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Acuity has a 1-year low of $257.04 and a 1-year high of $380.17.

Acuity (NYSE:AYI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 2nd. The electronics maker reported $4.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.11 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $1.06 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.09 billion. Acuity had a return on equity of 20.74% and a net margin of 9.37%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.45 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Acuity will post 18.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Acuity Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 17th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 17th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Acuity's dividend payout ratio is currently 5.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Laura O'shaughnessy purchased 1,000 shares of Acuity stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $282.98 per share, with a total value of $282,980.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 3,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at $880,350.78. This represents a 47.37% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Maya Leibman purchased 200 shares of Acuity stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $288.83 per share, for a total transaction of $57,766.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 400 shares of the company's stock, valued at $115,532. This represents a 100.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 2.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Acuity

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Acuity during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Acuity in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Acuity in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Acuity in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Acuity in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.21% of the company's stock.

Acuity Company Profile

Acuity Brands, Inc NYSE: AYI is a leading provider of lighting fixtures, controls and building management solutions designed for commercial, institutional, industrial and residential markets. The company's core offerings include a broad range of LED luminaires, lighting controls, sensors and networked building systems that enhance energy efficiency, occupant comfort and operational productivity. Acuity Brands' portfolio spans indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures, emergency lighting, task lighting and architectural products, as well as advanced controls such as daylight harvesting, occupancy sensing and wireless sensor networks.

Beyond traditional lighting, Acuity Brands delivers integrated digital solutions through its Connected Building platform, which combines smart sensors, cloud-based analytics and mobile applications to enable real-time monitoring and remote management of lighting and environmental systems.

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