AZZ Inc. (NYSE:AZZ) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately bullish: Four of six analysts rate AZZ a buy and two recommend holding the stock, with an average 12-month price target of $155.25.
• AZZ beat quarterly expectations: The company reported adjusted EPS of $1.85 versus the $1.80 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 6.3% year over year to $448.53 million.
• The dividend increased: AZZ raised its quarterly dividend from $0.20 to $0.24 per share, equivalent to an annualized dividend of $0.96 and a 0.7% yield.

Shares of AZZ Inc. (NYSE:AZZ - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $155.25.

A number of research firms have commented on AZZ. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of AZZ from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, July 12th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AZZ from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of AZZ from $138.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, B. Riley Financial increased their price target on shares of AZZ from $169.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, COO Jeffrey Vellines sold 4,220 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $153.55, for a total value of $647,981.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 1,834 shares in the company, valued at approximately $281,610.70. The trade was a 69.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, COO Bryan Lee Stovall sold 2,677 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.07, for a total value of $401,737.39. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 35,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,252,450. This trade represents a 7.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AZZ

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZZ. Tidal Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of AZZ by 0.7% in the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 21,919 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $3,399,000 after buying an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of AZZ during the 2nd quarter valued at about $66,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of AZZ by 20.0% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,009 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $156,000 after buying an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in AZZ by 524.2% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 387 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $60,000 after acquiring an additional 325 shares during the period. Finally, Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in AZZ during the second quarter worth about $197,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.93% of the company's stock.

AZZ Price Performance

AZZ stock opened at $132.54 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. AZZ has a 52-week low of $92.98 and a 52-week high of $162.20. The stock's 50 day moving average is $144.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $140.56. The company has a market capitalization of $3.98 billion, a PE ratio of 20.20 and a beta of 1.11.

AZZ (NYSE:AZZ - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 8th. The industrial products company reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $448.53 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $434.58 million. AZZ had a return on equity of 14.18% and a net margin of 11.83%.The business's revenue was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.78 EPS. AZZ has set its FY 2027 guidance at 6.750-7.150 EPS. Analysts predict that AZZ will post 7.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AZZ Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 9th were paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 9th. This is an increase from AZZ's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. AZZ's payout ratio is currently 14.63%.

AZZ Company Profile

AZZ Inc NYSE: AZZ is a provider of metal coating and coil coating solutions serving industrial and infrastructure markets. The company's Metal Coatings segment offers hot-dip galvanizing, powder coating, anodizing and related finishing services designed to protect steel and other metal products from corrosion and extend their service life.

Through its Precoat Metals business, AZZ provides continuous coil coating services for flat-rolled steel and aluminum. Its coatings are used in products and applications including building materials, transportation equipment, appliances, consumer goods, packaging and other manufactured components.

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