What is Zacks Research’s Forecast for Reliance Q1 Earnings?

Reliance, Inc. (NYSE:RS) – Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of Reliance in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, March 2nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the industrial products company will post earnings per share of $4.61 for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $4.74. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Reliance’s current full-year earnings is $16.98 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Reliance’s Q2 2026 earnings at $4.66 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $4.11 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $4.51 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $3.64 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $19.32 EPS.

Reliance (NYSE:RS) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.80 by ($0.40). The company had revenue of $3.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.45 billion. Reliance had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 10.45%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.22 earnings per share. Reliance has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 4.500-4.70 EPS.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. KeyCorp restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Reliance in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Reliance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Reliance in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Reliance from $315.00 to $323.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut shares of Reliance from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating and cut their target price for the company from $340.00 to $320.00 in a report on Friday, February 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $324.33.

Reliance Trading Down 0.4%

NYSE RS opened at $312.55 on Tuesday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $321.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $296.76. Reliance has a 12 month low of $250.07 and a 12 month high of $365.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 4.88 and a quick ratio of 2.30. The company has a market capitalization of $16.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.91.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Reliance

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of RS. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. raised its stake in Reliance by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 2,036 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $588,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares in the last quarter. Masso Torrence Wealth Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Reliance by 3.3% during the third quarter. Masso Torrence Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,148 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $322,000 after buying an additional 37 shares in the last quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Reliance by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Kathmere Capital Management LLC now owns 786 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $227,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Reliance by 13.2% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 325 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $91,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Choreo LLC grew its position in Reliance by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 1,366 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $383,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.26% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Reliance

In other news, COO Stephen Paul Koch sold 24,060 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $321.62, for a total transaction of $7,738,177.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 14,021 shares in the company, valued at $4,509,434.02. This represents a 63.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.35% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Reliance Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $1.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This is an increase from Reliance’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $5.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Reliance’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.36%.

More Reliance News

Here are the key news stories impacting Reliance this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo issued a positive forecast for RS, signaling institutional bullishness that can support the stock even as other analysts trim estimates. Wells Fargo & Company Issues Positive Forecast for Reliance (NYSE:RS) Stock Price
• Positive Sentiment: A Zacks commentary argues investors should retain Reliance, citing growth via recent acquisitions, strong liquidity metrics and steady construction demand — positives for revenue stability and cash flow that may counter cyclical weakness in aerospace/semiconductors and higher aluminum costs. Here’s Why You Should Retain Reliance Stock in Your Portfolio
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks continues to carry a “Hold” rating on RS and the consensus full‑year earnings view remains around $16.98, indicating mixed analyst conviction — not an outright sell signal but a reason for subdued momentum. MarketBeat: Reliance (RS) – Analyst Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut multiple near‑term and fiscal EPS estimates (Q4 2026, Q1 & Q2 2027, FY2026 and FY2027 among others), trimming FY2027 from $19.66 to $17.88 and reducing several quarterly forecasts — these downgrades weigh on sentiment and help explain intraday weakness. MarketBeat: Reliance (RS) – Zacks estimate revisions

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.