Reliance (NYSE:RS) Raised to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Reliance (NYSE:RS) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Saturday.

Several other research firms also recently commented on RS. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Reliance from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $340.00 to $320.00 in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut 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. KeyCorp reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Reliance in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Zacks Research raised Reliance from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Reliance from $287.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $323.00.

Reliance Stock Performance

Shares of RS opened at $318.89 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 4.88, a quick ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The firm has a market cap of $16.67 billion, a PE ratio of 22.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 0.92. Reliance has a 12 month low of $250.07 and a 12 month high of $365.59. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $317.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $295.15.

Reliance (NYSE:RS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.80 by ($0.40). The business 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 was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. Reliance has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 4.500-4.70 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Reliance will post 16.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Reliance news, CEO Karla R. Lewis sold 5,809 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $283.50, for a total value of $1,646,851.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 84,421 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,933,353.50. The trade was a 6.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, COO Stephen Paul Koch sold 3,066 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $283.56, for a total transaction of $869,394.96. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 14,021 shares in the company, valued at $3,975,794.76. The trade was a 17.94% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.35% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in shares of Reliance by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 15,111 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $4,364,000 after acquiring an additional 940 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Reliance by 4.8% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 5,662 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,635,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its position in Reliance by 99.2% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 263 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $76,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased its position in shares of Reliance by 417.6% in the second quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 88 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. acquired a new position in shares of Reliance during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $607,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.26% of the company’s stock.

Reliance News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Reliance this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised quarterly dividend to $1.25 (up from $1.20), boosting yield and income appeal for dividend-focused investors; ex-dividend on March 6.
• Positive Sentiment: Management set Q1 2026 EPS guidance of $4.50–$4.70, signaling continued demand and providing a near-term earnings floor that could support the stock. Zacks: RS Q4 Earnings Miss
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $315 and kept an “equal weight” rating — a technical boost to target consensus but not a bullish endorsement; their PT sits near the current price. Benzinga: Wells Fargo Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent media published the company’s Q4 earnings call transcript and analyst write-ups (Seeking Alpha, Yahoo/finance) — useful for investors digging into details but not immediate price catalysts by themselves. Seeking Alpha: Earnings Call Transcript Yahoo Finance: Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Press reports statewide that “Reliance” (major Indian group) plans a massive Rs 10 lakh crore AI investment; relevance to NYSE:RS (U.S. industrial products Reliance) is uncertain — likely limited direct near-term impact. BestMediaInfo: AI Investment
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed consensus ($2.40 vs. $2.80 expected) despite ~12% revenue growth; the earnings shortfall is the primary near-term pressure on the stock. Zacks: RS Misses Q4
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan downgraded the stock from “overweight” to “neutral” and trimmed its target to $330 — a formal sell-side cooling that can reduce buy-side conviction and liquidity. Benzinga: JPMorgan Downgrade Finviz: Coverage Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Small third-party supplier/order headlines (e.g., Artson securing an order from “Reliance”) are reported but likely relate to the large Indian conglomerate and have unclear impact on NYSE:RS. Business Standard: Artson Order

About Reliance

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.