Acuity, Inc. $AYI Shares Sold by Danske Bank A S

Key Points

• Danske Bank A S reduced its stake in Acuity by 10.6% in Q4, selling 7,573 shares and now holds 63,706 shares (0.21% of the company) valued at about $22.94 million.
• Director Laura O'Shaughnessy bought 1,000 shares at an average price of $282.98 on April 8, increasing her holdings by 47.37%; insiders now own 2.90% of the stock.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average target of $369.17; AYI trades at a market cap of $8.78 billion and a P/E of 21.23 within a 52-week range of $242.56–$380.17.

Danske Bank A S lowered its stake in shares of Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI - Free Report) by 10.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 63,706 shares of the electronics maker's stock after selling 7,573 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S owned 0.21% of Acuity worth $22,937,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AYI. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Acuity during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Acuity during the third quarter valued at $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Acuity by 122.2% during the third quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Kohmann Bosshard Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Acuity in the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in Acuity by 5,200.0% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 106 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.21% of the company's stock.

Acuity Stock Down 0.1%

AYI opened at $289.55 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.32. Acuity, Inc. has a 12 month low of $242.56 and a 12 month high of $380.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 2.07 and a quick ratio of 1.36. The business has a 50-day moving average of $281.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $324.65.

Acuity Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Laura O'shaughnessy bought 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $282.98 per share, for a total transaction of $282,980.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 3,111 shares of the company's stock, valued at $880,350.78. This trade represents a 47.37% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 2.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AYI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Acuity from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, April 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered 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. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Acuity from $342.00 to $295.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Acuity from $425.00 to $410.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Acuity in a report on Friday, March 27th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $369.17.

Acuity 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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