AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) Sets New 1-Year High – Here’s What Happened

Shares of AZZ Inc. (NYSE:AZZ) hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The company traded as high as $131.95 and last traded at $131.8040, with a volume of 23144 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $130.00.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AZZ in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AZZ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $125.00 price objective on AZZ in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $119.00.

AZZ Trading Up 1.4%

The firm has a market cap of $4.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.90 and a beta of 1.13. The company’s 50 day moving average is $117.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $110.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.21.

AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 7th. The industrial products company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $425.75 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $412.97 million. AZZ had a return on equity of 14.45% and a net margin of 19.89%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.39 EPS. AZZ has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.900-6.200 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that AZZ Inc. will post 5.13 earnings per share for the current year.

AZZ Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 5th will be given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 5th. AZZ’s dividend payout ratio is 7.52%.

AZZ announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Friday, January 30th that permits the company to buyback $100.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to buy up to 2.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at AZZ

In related news, insider Tara D. Mackey sold 2,790 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.64, for a total transaction of $353,325.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 25,296 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,203,485.44. This trade represents a 9.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Thomas E. Ferguson sold 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.29, for a total value of $3,182,250.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 158,182 shares in the company, valued at approximately $20,134,986.78. This represents a 13.65% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 30,358 shares of company stock worth $3,841,552. Company insiders own 1.77% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AZZ

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Copeland Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in AZZ by 222.5% in the fourth quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 466,140 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $49,961,000 after buying an additional 321,611 shares during the period. SG Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of AZZ by 111.3% during the 3rd quarter. SG Capital Management LLC now owns 376,040 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $41,037,000 after acquiring an additional 198,036 shares during the last quarter. Aberdeen Group plc acquired a new position in shares of AZZ in the 4th quarter valued at $18,429,000. Capital International Investors boosted its position in shares of AZZ by 8.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,961,247 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $214,031,000 after purchasing an additional 157,529 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AZZ during the third quarter worth $16,360,000. Institutional investors own 90.93% of the company’s stock.

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.