Seizert Capital Partners LLC Sells 8,046 Shares of Acuity, Inc. $AYI

Key Points

• Seizert Capital sold 8,046 shares in Q4, trimming its stake by 4.3% to 180,569 shares valued at about $65.0M, making Acuity its 10th largest holding (≈2.7% of the fund).
• Institutional and insider activity: 98.21% of AYI is owned by hedge funds and other institutions, while Director Laura O'Shaughnessy bought 1,000 shares on April 8 at $282.98, raising her holdings to 3,111 shares (insiders own 2.90%).
• Analyst views: Several firms cut price targets (Goldman Sachs to $295, Robert W. Baird to $315) though Morgan Stanley remains overweight, and the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" with a $369.17 average price target.

Seizert Capital Partners LLC lessened its stake in shares of Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI - Free Report) by 4.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 180,569 shares of the electronics maker's stock after selling 8,046 shares during the period. Acuity accounts for approximately 2.7% of Seizert Capital Partners LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th biggest position. Seizert Capital Partners LLC owned approximately 0.59% of Acuity worth $65,012,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC raised its holdings in shares of Acuity by 50,220.2% during the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 2,268,433 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $676,764,000 after acquiring an additional 2,263,925 shares during the last quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP raised its position in shares of Acuity by 9.1% in the third quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP now owns 1,363,619 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $469,617,000 after buying an additional 113,720 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in Acuity by 2.1% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 815,050 shares of the electronics maker's stock worth $280,695,000 after purchasing an additional 17,011 shares during the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp raised its stake in Acuity by 6,496.7% during the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 692,189 shares of the electronics maker's stock worth $249,216,000 after purchasing an additional 681,696 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Partners boosted its holdings in Acuity by 10.1% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 633,060 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $218,071,000 after purchasing an additional 58,085 shares during the last quarter. 98.21% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on AYI. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Acuity from $342.00 to $295.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Acuity from $425.00 to $410.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Acuity from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, April 12th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Acuity in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Acuity from $320.00 to $315.00 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 assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Acuity currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $369.17.

Acuity Stock Performance

Shares of AYI stock opened at $289.55 on Monday. Acuity, Inc. has a 52 week low of $242.56 and a 52 week high of $380.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.78 billion, a PE ratio of 21.23, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $281.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $324.39.

Acuity Announces Dividend

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

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AYI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.