Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Sells 117,383 Shares of AZZ Inc. $AZZ

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its position in AZZ Inc. (NYSE:AZZ) by 9.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,064,757 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 117,383 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 3.56% of AZZ worth $133,225,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AZZ. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in AZZ by 92.5% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 258 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of AZZ in the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of AZZ in the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of AZZ by 184.3% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp raised its holdings in AZZ by 55.9% during the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 382 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. 90.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AZZ Price Performance

NYSE AZZ opened at $148.54 on Tuesday. AZZ Inc. has a one year low of $92.98 and a one year high of $162.20. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $146.69 and a 200 day moving average of $136.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.92. The company has a market capitalization of $4.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.64 and a beta of 1.11.

AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 8th. The industrial products company reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.80 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $448.53 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $434.58 million. AZZ had a return on equity of 14.18% and a net margin of 11.83%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.78 earnings per share. AZZ has set its FY 2027 guidance at 6.750-7.150 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AZZ Inc. will post 6.94 EPS for the current year.

AZZ Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, July 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 9th. This is a boost from AZZ’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. AZZ’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.63%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on AZZ. Weiss Ratings cut AZZ from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $152.00 target price on shares of AZZ in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on AZZ from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on AZZ from $138.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, B. Riley Financial lifted their price target on shares of AZZ from $169.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.25.

About AZZ

AZZ Inc, incorporated in 1956 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, is a leading provider of galvanizing and metal finishing solutions alongside electrical equipment and services. The company supports a diverse range of industries—such as energy, infrastructure, heavy equipment and general industrial markets—by delivering corrosion protection and high-performance electrical solutions designed for demanding environments.

AZZ operates two primary business segments. The Global Coatings & Services segment offers hot-dip galvanizing, metal finishing, painting, powder coating and related value-added services to steel fabricators and original equipment manufacturers.