Quilter Plc Sells 2,185 Shares of Acuity, Inc. $AYI

Quilter Plc cut its stake in shares of Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI) by 16.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 11,400 shares of the electronics maker’s stock after selling 2,185 shares during the quarter. Quilter Plc’s holdings in Acuity were worth $4,104,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sowell Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Acuity during the 4th quarter worth approximately $202,000. Perigon Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Acuity in the fourth quarter valued at about $217,000. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Acuity by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,452 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $1,963,000 after acquiring an additional 204 shares in the last quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management bought a new position in Acuity during the fourth quarter worth about $243,000. Finally, Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in Acuity by 6.4% during the fourth quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 1,299 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $468,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.21% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Acuity

In other news, CFO Karen J. Holcom sold 4,974 shares of Acuity stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.23, for a total value of $1,538,110.02. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 21,523 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,655,557.29. This trade represents a 18.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.90% of the company’s stock.

Acuity Price Performance

AYI stock opened at $265.51 on Monday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $293.26 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $332.87. The firm has a market cap of $8.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.47, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Acuity, Inc. has a 12 month low of $216.81 and a 12 month high of $380.17.

Acuity (NYSE:AYI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 8th. The electronics maker reported $4.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.45 by $0.24. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.14 billion. Acuity had a net margin of 9.37% and a return on equity of 20.74%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.97 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Acuity, Inc. will post 15.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Acuity Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 17th will be issued 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 is Friday, April 17th. Acuity’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.15%.

Acuity News Roundup

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on AYI shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Acuity from $385.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Acuity from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Acuity in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Acuity from $425.00 to $410.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Finally, William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Acuity in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $380.17.

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.