Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI) Short Interest Down 21.8% in December

Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI) was the target of a large decrease in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 516,401 shares, a decrease of 21.8% from the December 15th total of 660,396 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 288,336 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days. Approximately 1.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Approximately 1.7% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 288,336 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.8 days.

Acuity Stock Performance

NYSE:AYI traded down $0.29 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $320.53. 417,571 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 437,138. Acuity has a 1-year low of $216.81 and a 1-year high of $380.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a 50-day moving average of $357.59 and a 200 day moving average of $340.64.

Acuity (NYSE:AYI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 8th. The electronics maker reported $4.69 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.45 by $0.24. Acuity had a net margin of 9.04% and a return on equity of 20.97%. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.14 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.97 earnings per share. Acuity’s quarterly revenue was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts anticipate that Acuity will post 15.86 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Acuity

In other news, SVP Barry R. Goldman sold 4,687 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $368.01, for a total transaction of $1,724,862.87. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 10,545 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,880,665.45. This trade represents a 30.77% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.90% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Acuity

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of AYI. Financial Consulate Inc. purchased a new position in Acuity in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Acuity by 1,100.0% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 96 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Acuity during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Acuity by 122.2% during the third quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 100 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings in Acuity by 5,200.0% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 106 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. 98.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AYI has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on shares of Acuity from $380.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Acuity in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Acuity from $380.00 to $405.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Acuity in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on Acuity from $330.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, October 2nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $395.17.

About Acuity

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.