Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Raises Position in Acuity, Inc. $AYI

Key Points

• Zurcher Kantonalbank raised its stake in Acuity by 47.5% in Q4, ending the period with 22,108 shares worth about $7.96 million (roughly 0.07% of the company).
• Acuity declared a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share (annualized $0.80, ~0.3% yield) with an ex-dividend date of April 17 and payment on May 1.
• Insider and market signals: the CFO sold 4,974 shares at about $309.23 (reducing her stake ~18.8%) while a director bought 1,000 shares; institutional ownership is high at 98.21% and analysts’ consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $369.17.

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its position in Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI - Free Report) by 47.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 22,108 shares of the electronics maker's stock after buying an additional 7,124 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank owned approximately 0.07% of Acuity worth $7,960,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of AYI. Financial Consulate Inc. purchased a new position in Acuity in the third quarter worth about $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Acuity in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Acuity by 122.2% in the third quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the electronics maker's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in Acuity by 5,200.0% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 106 shares of the electronics maker's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP raised its holdings in Acuity by 59.2% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 113 shares of the electronics maker's stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. 98.21% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Acuity Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of AYI stock opened at $289.23 on Friday. Acuity, Inc. has a 12 month low of $231.70 and a 12 month high of $380.17. The stock has a market cap of $8.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.42. 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 50 day simple moving average of $283.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $327.15.

Acuity Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be 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 is Friday, April 17th. Acuity's dividend payout ratio is presently 5.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Acuity news, CFO Karen J. Holcom sold 4,974 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.23, for a total value of $1,538,110.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 21,523 shares in the company, valued at $6,655,557.29. This represents a 18.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Laura O'shaughnessy purchased 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $282.98 per share, with a total value of $282,980.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 2.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AYI has been the subject of several research reports. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Acuity from $320.00 to $315.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Acuity from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Sunday, April 12th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Acuity from $425.00 to $410.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 12th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Acuity in a report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on shares of Acuity from $342.00 to $295.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently 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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