Hsbc Holdings PLC Increases Stock Position in AZZ Inc. $AZZ

Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in AZZ Inc. (NYSE:AZZ) by 214.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 9,184 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,265 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC’s holdings in AZZ were worth $994,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in shares of AZZ by 92.5% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 258 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AZZ in the second quarter worth about $30,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of AZZ in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC increased its holdings in AZZ by 184.3% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased 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 purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.93% of the company’s stock.

AZZ Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE AZZ opened at $146.43 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. AZZ Inc. has a twelve month low of $92.98 and a twelve month high of $162.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.40 billion, a PE ratio of 22.32 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $145.76 and its 200 day moving average is $133.87.

AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 8th. The industrial products company reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $448.53 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $434.58 million. AZZ had a return on equity of 14.18% and a net margin of 11.83%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.78 earnings per share. AZZ has set its FY 2027 guidance at 6.750-7.150 EPS. Research analysts forecast that AZZ Inc. will post 6.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AZZ Increases Dividend

The firm 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 $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 9th. This is a positive change from AZZ’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. AZZ’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.63%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on AZZ shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on AZZ from $138.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on AZZ from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. B. Riley Financial upped their target price on AZZ from $169.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Wall Street Zen lowered AZZ from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of AZZ from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.25.

AZZ Profile

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.