AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) Reaches New 52-Week High - What's Next?

Key Points

• AZZ shares hit a new 52-week high, trading as high as $151.67 as investors pushed the stock higher on above-average interest.
• Recent earnings were strong: AZZ reported $1.34 EPS versus the $1.19 consensus, with revenue of $385.1 million topping expectations and rising 9.4% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but constructive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $141.80, while the company also has a $100 million share buyback authorization and a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share.

Shares of AZZ Inc. (NYSE:AZZ - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $151.67 and last traded at $148.6550, with a volume of 369448 shares. The stock had previously closed at $147.60.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AZZ has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Noble Financial restated an "outperform" rating on shares of AZZ in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on AZZ from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded AZZ from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 2nd. B. Riley Financial upped their price target on AZZ from $167.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut AZZ from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $127.00 to $132.00 in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $141.80.

AZZ Stock Up 0.7%

The firm has a market capitalization of $4.44 billion, a PE ratio of 14.16 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $132.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $120.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.70.

AZZ (NYSE:AZZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $1.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $385.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $382.24 million. AZZ had a return on equity of 14.47% and a net margin of 19.23%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.98 EPS. AZZ has set its FY 2027 guidance at 6.500-7.000 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that AZZ Inc. will post 6.78 earnings per share for the current year.

AZZ Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 23rd. AZZ's dividend payout ratio is presently 7.62%.

AZZ announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Friday, January 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to reacquire up to 2.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Tara D. Mackey sold 2,923 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.00, for a total transaction of $397,528.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 22,373 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,042,728. This represents a 11.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.77% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of AZZ

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AZZ. SEB Asset Management AB purchased a new stake in AZZ during the 1st quarter valued at $45,297,000. Copeland Capital Management LLC increased its stake in AZZ by 222.5% in the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 466,140 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $49,961,000 after purchasing an additional 321,611 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in AZZ by 861.6% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 315,485 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $33,814,000 after purchasing an additional 282,676 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in AZZ by 93.2% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 549,291 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $58,873,000 after purchasing an additional 264,956 shares during the period. Finally, SG Capital Management LLC increased its stake in AZZ by 111.3% in the third quarter. SG Capital Management LLC now owns 376,040 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $41,037,000 after purchasing an additional 198,036 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.93% of the company's stock.

About AZZ

AZZ Inc, incorporated in 1956 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leading provider of galvanizing and metal finishing solutions alongside electrical equipment and services. The company supports a diverse range of industries—such as energy, infrastructure, heavy equipment and general industrial markets—by delivering corrosion protection and high-performance electrical solutions designed for demanding environments.

AZZ operates two primary business segments. The Global Coatings & Services segment offers hot-dip galvanizing, metal finishing, painting, powder coating and related value-added services to steel fabricators and original equipment manufacturers.

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