AZZ Inc. $AZZ Shares Sold by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Sterling Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of AZZ Inc. (NYSE:AZZ) by 42.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,584 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 5,685 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in AZZ were worth $949,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in AZZ by 92.5% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 258 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in AZZ in the 2nd quarter worth about $30,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in AZZ in the 4th quarter valued at about $38,000. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its holdings in AZZ by 184.3% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 234 shares during the period. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.93% of the company’s stock.

AZZ Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NYSE AZZ opened at $155.47 on Wednesday. AZZ Inc. has a 12-month low of $92.98 and a 12-month high of $162.20. The company has a market cap of $4.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.81 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.70, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $144.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $131.43.

AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $1.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.15. AZZ had a return on equity of 14.47% and a net margin of 19.23%.The company had revenue of $385.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $382.24 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.98 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. AZZ has set its FY 2027 guidance at 6.500-7.000 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that AZZ Inc. will post 6.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AZZ Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 9th will be issued a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 9th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. This is a boost from AZZ’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. AZZ’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.62%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AZZ has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of AZZ in a report on Wednesday, May 20th. B. Riley Financial raised their price objective on AZZ from $167.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on AZZ from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $152.00 target price on shares of AZZ in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of AZZ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $152.00.

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.