Zacks Research Has Pessimistic View of Acuity Q4 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut its Q4 2026 EPS estimate for Acuity to $5.14 from $5.23, signaling a more cautious near-term outlook for the company’s earnings.
• Acuity’s latest quarterly results were solid, with EPS of $5.31 and revenue of $1.20 billion, both ahead of analyst expectations.
• Despite the lower near-term estimate, Wall Street remains generally positive on Acuity, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a target price of $397.17.

Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI - Free Report) - Zacks Research cut their Q4 2026 earnings estimates for Acuity in a research report issued on Thursday, July 16th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the electronics maker will post earnings of $5.14 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $5.23. The consensus estimate for Acuity's current full-year earnings is $18.44 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Acuity's Q2 2027 earnings at $4.31 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $5.60 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $20.26 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $5.09 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $4.77 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $6.03 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $21.96 EPS.

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. The company had revenue of $1.20 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.18 billion. Acuity had a net margin of 10.25% and a return on equity of 20.26%. Acuity's quarterly revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $5.12 EPS.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Acuity in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Acuity from $295.00 to $358.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings raised Acuity from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Wall Street Zen raised Acuity from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Sunday, June 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Acuity from $400.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. 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 stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $397.17.

Acuity Stock Down 0.1%

AYI stock opened at $326.54 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $9.78 billion, a PE ratio of 21.65, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.27. Acuity has a 1 year low of $257.04 and a 1 year high of $380.17. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $315.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $304.90. The company has a current ratio of 2.05, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

Acuity Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 17th. Acuity's dividend payout ratio is 5.31%.

Insider Activity

In other Acuity news, Director Maya Leibman purchased 200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $288.83 per share, with a total value of $57,766.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 400 shares in the company, valued at $115,532. This trade represents a 100.00% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Acuity

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Acuity by 8,338.5% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,097 shares of the electronics maker's stock worth $289,000 after buying an additional 1,084 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in Acuity by 17.0% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 76,543 shares of the electronics maker's stock worth $20,158,000 after acquiring an additional 11,144 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in Acuity by 372.7% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 208 shares of the electronics maker's stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the period. Brown Advisory Inc. raised its stake in Acuity by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 2,134 shares of the electronics maker's stock valued at $637,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jump Financial LLC acquired a new position in Acuity during the 2nd quarter valued at $762,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.21% of the company's stock.

Acuity News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Acuity this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research increased multiple longer-term EPS estimates for Acuity, including FY2027 to $20.26, FY2028 to $21.96, Q3 2027 to $5.53, Q4 2027 to $5.60, and Q3 2028 to $6.03, signaling higher profit expectations. Acuity analyst estimate updates
• Neutral Sentiment: Some near-term forecasts were essentially unchanged or only slightly adjusted, including Q2 2028 EPS at $4.77 and Q1 2027 at $4.82, indicating no major shift in the short-term outlook. Acuity analyst estimate updates
• Negative Sentiment: A few estimates were cut, including Q4 2026 EPS to $5.14 from $5.23 and Q2 2027 EPS to $4.31 from $4.40, which may temper enthusiasm around the near-term earnings trajectory. Acuity analyst estimate updates

About Acuity

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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