UBS Group AG Increases Stake in Acuity, Inc. $AYI

Key Points

• UBS Group AG raised its stake in Acuity by 37.3% in Q4 to 308,665 shares, representing about 1.01% of the company and roughly $111.13 million in value.
• Several large institutions also boosted positions — notably Orion Portfolio Solutions (2,268,433 shares) and M&T Bank Corp (692,189 shares) — leaving institutional investors with approximately 98.21% ownership of Acuity.
• Acuity has a market cap of $8.78 billion, pays a quarterly dividend of $0.20 ($0.80 annualized, ~0.3% yield), and carries a consensus analyst rating of Moderate Buy with a $369.17 price target.

UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI - Free Report) by 37.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 308,665 shares of the electronics maker's stock after acquiring an additional 83,936 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned approximately 1.01% of Acuity worth $111,132,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Acuity by 50,220.2% during the 2nd 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 period. Durable Capital Partners LP lifted its stake in Acuity by 9.1% during the 3rd quarter. Durable Capital Partners LP now owns 1,363,619 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $469,617,000 after acquiring an additional 113,720 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Acuity by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 815,050 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $280,695,000 after acquiring an additional 17,011 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp lifted its stake in Acuity by 6,496.7% during the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 692,189 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $249,216,000 after acquiring an additional 681,696 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Partners lifted its stake in Acuity by 10.1% during the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 633,060 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $218,071,000 after acquiring an additional 58,085 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 98.21% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Acuity

In other Acuity news, Director Laura O'shaughnessy acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 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 filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 2.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Acuity Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AYI opened at $289.55 on Friday. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $281.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $324.90. Acuity, Inc. has a twelve month low of $242.56 and a twelve month high of $380.17. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $8.78 billion, a PE ratio of 21.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.32.

Acuity Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Acuity in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Acuity from $320.00 to $315.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Acuity from $425.00 to $410.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Acuity from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, April 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Acuity from $385.00 to $370.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Acuity has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target 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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