Acuity (NYSE:AYI) Lowered to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Acuity (NYSE:AYI) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Saturday.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Acuity in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Acuity from $425.00 to $410.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 12th. William Blair reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Acuity in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on Acuity from $375.00 to $320.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Acuity from $385.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $380.17.

Acuity Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE:AYI opened at $265.51 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $8.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.47, a PEG ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 2.07. Acuity has a 1 year low of $216.81 and a 1 year high of $380.17. The business has a fifty day moving average of $293.26 and a 200-day moving average of $332.92.

Acuity (NYSE:AYI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 8th. The electronics maker reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.45 by $0.24. Acuity had a net margin of 9.37% and a return on equity of 20.74%. The business had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.14 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.97 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Acuity will post 15.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Acuity Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 17th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.3%. Acuity’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.15%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Karen J. Holcom sold 4,974 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.23, for a total transaction of $1,538,110.02. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 21,523 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,655,557.29. The trade was a 18.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 2.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Acuity

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AYI. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC lifted its stake in 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 buying an additional 2,263,925 shares in the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp increased its position in shares of Acuity by 6,496.7% in the fourth quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 692,189 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $249,216,000 after acquiring an additional 681,696 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Acuity during the second quarter valued at approximately $119,587,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Acuity during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $138,747,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Acuity by 98.4% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 571,017 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $196,653,000 after acquiring an additional 283,203 shares in the last quarter. 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: Adjusted EPS topped estimates and showed year‑over‑year improvement — adjusted diluted EPS of $4.14 beat consensus (~$4.01), signaling better profitability after adjustments. Acuity (AYI) Tops Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Margin expansion and operating‑profit improvement drove EPS upside; management highlighted execution and raised the dividend (an 18% increase noted in some reports), which supports income investors. Acuity Reports Fiscal 2026 Second-Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Growth in Acuity Intelligent Spaces (AIS) was strong — double‑digit/large percentage growth helped offset weakness in legacy lighting and was cited by analysts as a structural positive tied to the QSC/Distech additions. Acuity’s Loss Makes Buying A Bright Idea (Upgrade)
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcripts and highlights provide color on execution and end‑market trends — management emphasized execution but acknowledged mixed demand across end markets. Useful for gauging guidance tone and cadence from management. Acuity Brands, Inc. (NYSE:AYI) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/deep‑dive pieces note a mixed picture: margin and AIS growth vs. softness in core lighting — these analyses help investors weigh whether the AIS growth offsets cyclical lighting weakness. AYI Q1 Deep Dive: Lighting Demand Softness Offsets Margin Expansion and AIS Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Topline came in softer than some street estimates — net sales were roughly flat-to‑modestly up YoY but missed consensus in several reports, which is weighing on investor sentiment. Acuity’s Q2 Earnings Top Estimates, Sales Miss, Dividend Hiked
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets reported GAAP/diluted EPS figures (reported $3.09) below certain consensus numbers and highlighted that the market reacted negatively intraday; broader market headwinds (e.g., oil‑driven selloff) also pressured the stock. Acuity Brands Q2 results summary (MarketBeat) Crude Oil Rises Sharply; Acuity Shares Fall After Q2 Results

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.