Wells Fargo & Company Increases Reliance (NYSE:RS) Price Target to $315.00

Reliance (NYSE:RS) had its price target hoisted by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $287.00 to $315.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the industrial products company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target suggests a potential downside of 1.22% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on RS. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Reliance from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Reliance in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Reliance in a report on Monday, December 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Reliance from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $340.00 to $330.00 in a research report on Friday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets downgraded Reliance from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $340.00 to $320.00 in a research note on Friday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $323.00.

Reliance Stock Down 2.6%

RS stock opened at $318.89 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $16.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a current ratio of 4.88. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $317.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $295.08. Reliance has a fifty-two week low of $250.07 and a fifty-two week high of $365.59.

Reliance (NYSE:RS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.80 by ($0.40). The firm had revenue of $3.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.45 billion. Reliance had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 10.45%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.22 earnings per share. Reliance has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 4.500-4.70 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Reliance will post 16.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Reliance news, COO Stephen Paul Koch sold 3,066 shares of Reliance stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $283.56, for a total value of $869,394.96. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 14,021 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,975,794.76. This trade represents a 17.94% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Karla R. Lewis sold 5,809 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $283.50, for a total value of $1,646,851.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 84,421 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,933,353.50. This represents a 6.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Reliance

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in shares of Reliance by 6.6% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 15,111 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $4,364,000 after acquiring an additional 940 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Reliance by 4.8% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,662 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,635,000 after acquiring an additional 258 shares during the period. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Reliance by 99.2% in the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 263 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA grew its stake in shares of Reliance by 417.6% during the 2nd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 88 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. bought a new stake in shares of Reliance during the 2nd quarter valued at about $607,000. 79.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Reliance News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Reliance this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised quarterly dividend to $1.25 (up from $1.20), boosting yield and income appeal for dividend-focused investors; ex-dividend on March 6.
• Positive Sentiment: Management set Q1 2026 EPS guidance of $4.50–$4.70, signaling continued demand and providing a near-term earnings floor that could support the stock. Zacks: RS Q4 Earnings Miss
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $315 and kept an “equal weight” rating — a technical boost to target consensus but not a bullish endorsement; their PT sits near the current price. Benzinga: Wells Fargo Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent media published the company’s Q4 earnings call transcript and analyst write-ups (Seeking Alpha, Yahoo/finance) — useful for investors digging into details but not immediate price catalysts by themselves. Seeking Alpha: Earnings Call Transcript Yahoo Finance: Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Press reports statewide that “Reliance” (major Indian group) plans a massive Rs 10 lakh crore AI investment; relevance to NYSE:RS (U.S. industrial products Reliance) is uncertain — likely limited direct near-term impact. BestMediaInfo: AI Investment
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed consensus ($2.40 vs. $2.80 expected) despite ~12% revenue growth; the earnings shortfall is the primary near-term pressure on the stock. Zacks: RS Misses Q4
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan downgraded the stock from “overweight” to “neutral” and trimmed its target to $330 — a formal sell-side cooling that can reduce buy-side conviction and liquidity. Benzinga: JPMorgan Downgrade Finviz: Coverage Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Small third-party supplier/order headlines (e.g., Artson securing an order from “Reliance”) are reported but likely relate to the large Indian conglomerate and have unclear impact on NYSE:RS. Business Standard: Artson Order

Reliance Company Profile

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co (NYSE: RS) is a leading metals service center company that distributes and processes a broad array of metal products. The company offers cut-to-length, shearing, blanking, sawing, bending, machining and value-added services for carbon and alloy steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, titanium and specialty metal alloys. Its products serve diverse end markets, including energy, infrastructure, general manufacturing, transportation, aerospace and defense.

Founded in 1939 in Los Angeles, Reliance Steel & Aluminum has grown through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.