AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) Cut to “Equal Weight” at Wells Fargo & Company

Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a research note published on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have $132.00 price target on the industrial products company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $127.00.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Wall Street Zen raised AZZ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 10th. Noble Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of AZZ in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Robert W. Baird set a $125.00 price target on AZZ in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AZZ in a report on Monday, December 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $127.00.

AZZ Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of AZZ stock opened at $132.67 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.96 billion, a PE ratio of 12.47 and a beta of 1.11. AZZ has a 52-week low of $70.90 and a 52-week high of $141.18. The business’s fifty day moving average is $125.23 and its 200 day moving average is $113.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.66.

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

AZZ declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback program on Friday, January 30th that allows the company to repurchase $100.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the industrial products company to buy up to 2.7% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

AZZ Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 5th were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. AZZ’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.52%.

Insider Transactions at AZZ

In other news, CEO Thomas E. Ferguson sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.29, for a total transaction of $3,182,250.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 158,182 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,134,986.78. This trade represents a 13.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Tara D. Mackey sold 2,923 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.00, for a total transaction of $397,528.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 22,373 shares in the company, valued at $3,042,728. This represents a 11.56% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 33,281 shares of company stock valued at $4,239,080. 1.77% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AZZ

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AZZ. Lido Advisors LLC raised its holdings in AZZ by 3.0% during the fourth quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 2,633 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $286,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares during the period. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AZZ by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC now owns 18,164 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $1,947,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its position in shares of AZZ by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 6,882 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $738,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of AZZ by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 10,593 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,135,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in AZZ by 92.5% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 258 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. 90.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.