Zacks Research Has Pessimistic Outlook of Acuity Q2 Earnings

Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI) – Zacks Research cut their Q2 2027 EPS estimates for shares of Acuity in a research report issued on Monday, January 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the electronics maker will post earnings per share of $4.73 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $4.74. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Acuity’s current full-year earnings is $15.86 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Acuity’s Q3 2027 earnings at $5.38 EPS.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on AYI. Wall Street Zen upgraded Acuity from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. Cowen reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Acuity in a research report on Thursday, October 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Acuity in a report on Monday, December 29th. William Blair reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Acuity in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Acuity from $335.00 to $360.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, September 25th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $395.17.

Acuity Stock Down 12.8%

Shares of NYSE:AYI opened at $322.53 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.90 billion, a PE ratio of 25.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.50. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $362.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $339.23. Acuity has a 1 year low of $216.81 and a 1 year high of $380.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 1.95 and a quick ratio of 1.33.

Acuity (NYSE:AYI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 8th. The electronics maker reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.45 by $0.24. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.14 billion. Acuity had a net margin of 9.13% and a return on equity of 20.81%. The firm’s revenue was up 20.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.97 EPS.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Acuity news, SVP Barry R. Goldman sold 4,489 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $365.11, for a total transaction of $1,638,978.79. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 6,056 shares in the company, valued at $2,211,106.16. This represents a 42.57% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Acuity

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Acuity during the second quarter worth about $119,587,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd purchased a new stake in Acuity in the 1st quarter worth approximately $379,000. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its position in Acuity by 20.7% in the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 28,533 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $7,514,000 after purchasing an additional 4,886 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Acuity during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $407,000. Finally, GHP Investment Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Acuity by 51.7% during the 2nd quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 3,193 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $953,000 after purchasing an additional 1,088 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.21% of the company’s stock.

Acuity News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Acuity this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — adjusted EPS of $4.69 topped the Street, delivered ~20% year-over-year net sales growth and expanded adjusted operating profit and margins; management highlighted solid top-line execution. Acuity Reports Fiscal 2026 First-Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple outlets note the EPS beat and sharp sales growth, reinforcing that the quarter showed operational strength and demand recovery. Acuity Brands posts Q1 earnings beat on sharp sales growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue broadly came in line with consensus (roughly $1.14B reported vs. expectations), so the beat was driven mainly by margin/adjustments rather than a large top-line surprise. Acuity Brands’s (NYSE:AYI) Q4 CY2025 Earnings Results: Revenue In Line With Expectations
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre- and post-earnings analyst notes (Zacks previews/metrics comparisons) flagged the quarter’s beats but also contain modest estimate tweaks and a “Hold” stance from Zacks, suggesting cautious analyst positioning. Acuity (AYI) Q1 Earnings: How Key Metrics Compare to Wall Street Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Management flagged a Q2 seasonality shift and “backlog normalization,” comments investors may interpret as a signal of more mixed near-term demand or a slower sequential cadence — a likely drag on sentiment despite the beat. Acuity signals Q2 seasonality shift and highlights 20% net sales growth amid backlog normalization
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market weakness (Nasdaq decline) amplified selling pressure on cyclical/technology-related names, contributing to the stock’s pullback on the day. Nasdaq Falls Over 100 Points; Acuity Posts Upbeat Earnings

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.