Zacks Research Comments on Reliance’s Q1 Earnings (NYSE:RS)

Reliance, Inc. (NYSE:RS) – Research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Reliance in a research report issued on Monday, March 2nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the industrial products company will earn $4.61 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $4.74. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Reliance’s current full-year earnings is $16.98 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Reliance’s Q2 2026 earnings at $4.66 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $4.11 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $4.51 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.64 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $19.32 EPS.

Reliance (NYSE:RS) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.80 by ($0.40). The firm had revenue of $3.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.45 billion. Reliance had a return on equity of 10.45% and a net margin of 5.17%.Reliance’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.22 earnings per share. Reliance has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 4.500-4.70 EPS.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Reliance from $315.00 to $323.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen cut Reliance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Reliance in a research report on Monday, December 29th. BMO Capital Markets downgraded Reliance from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their price objective for the company from $340.00 to $320.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Reliance from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $340.00 to $330.00 in a research report on Friday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Reliance currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $324.33.

Reliance Stock Down 2.7%

Shares of Reliance stock opened at $314.00 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $321.16 and a 200 day simple moving average of $296.65. The stock has a market cap of $16.24 billion, a PE ratio of 22.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a quick ratio of 2.30, a current ratio of 4.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Reliance has a 12 month low of $250.07 and a 12 month high of $365.59.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Reliance

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Boston Partners lifted its position in shares of Reliance by 72.6% during the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 1,763,317 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $552,461,000 after purchasing an additional 741,417 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Reliance in the fourth quarter worth $207,691,000. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Reliance by 899.4% during the third quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 733,528 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $205,997,000 after purchasing an additional 660,128 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Reliance by 25.2% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,708,756 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $479,870,000 after purchasing an additional 343,598 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in Reliance by 1,018.9% in the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 341,827 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $98,744,000 after purchasing an additional 311,276 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.26% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Reliance

In related news, COO Stephen Paul Koch sold 24,060 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $321.62, for a total transaction of $7,738,177.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 14,021 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,509,434.02. The trade was a 63.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.35% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Reliance Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of $1.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. This is a boost from Reliance’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. Reliance’s dividend payout ratio is 34.36%.

Key Headlines Impacting Reliance

Here are the key news stories impacting Reliance this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target from $315 to $323 and kept an “equal weight” rating — a modest vote of confidence that implies upside vs. the current market level. Wells Fargo price target raise
• Neutral Sentiment: AmericanBankingNews published a positive-leaning forecast mentioning Wells Fargo’s outlook, which may provide some near-term support but doesn’t change fundamentals. Wells Fargo forecast article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut several near-term EPS estimates — notably Q1 2026 (to $4.61 from $4.74) and Q2 2026 (to $4.66 from $4.97) and trimmed some 2027 quarter forecasts — while keeping a “Hold” rating. These downgrades increase short-term earnings uncertainty and likely pressured the stock. Zacks Research note
• Negative Sentiment: Reliance’s most recent quarter showed an EPS miss (reported $2.40 vs. $2.80 expected) despite revenue growth; management set Q1 guidance of $4.50–4.70, but lingering misses amplify sensitivity to analyst revisions and could weigh on the stock. Quarterly results summary

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.