Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI - Free Report) by 25.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 15,215 shares of the electronics maker's stock after purchasing an additional 3,082 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC's holdings in Acuity were worth $5,479,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Acuity during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Acuity in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Acuity in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in Acuity in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Acuity during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.21% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Acuity in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Acuity from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Acuity from $320.00 to $315.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Acuity from $385.00 to $370.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Acuity from $342.00 to $295.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Acuity has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $369.17.
Get Our Latest Analysis on AYI
Key Stories Impacting Acuity
Here are the key news stories impacting Acuity this week:
Acuity Trading Up 17.5%
Shares of Acuity stock opened at $358.85 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $296.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $307.72. The stock has a market cap of $10.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.31, a PEG ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.31. Acuity, Inc. has a 12-month low of $257.04 and a 12-month high of $380.17.
Acuity (NYSE:AYI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 25th. The electronics maker reported $5.31 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.17 by $0.14. Acuity had a net margin of 9.37% and a return on equity of 20.74%. The firm had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.18 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $5.12 EPS. Acuity's revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Acuity, Inc. will post 18.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Acuity Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 17th. Acuity's payout ratio is presently 5.87%.
Insider Activity
In other news, Director Maya Leibman bought 200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $288.83 per share, with a total value of $57,766.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 400 shares in the company, valued at $115,532. This trade represents a 100.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Laura O'shaughnessy purchased 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 8th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $282.98 per share, for a total transaction of $282,980.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 3,111 shares in the company, valued at $880,350.78. The trade was a 47.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
About Acuity
(
Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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