Insider Buying: Acuity (NYSE:AYI) Director Acquires 200 Shares of Stock

Acuity, Inc. (NYSE:AYI) Director Maya Leibman purchased 200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were bought at an average price of $288.83 per share, for a total transaction of $57,766.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 400 shares in the company, valued at $115,532. This represents a 100.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Acuity Stock Down 1.3%

Shares of Acuity stock traded down $3.66 on Monday, hitting $285.63. 261,313 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 462,043. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $281.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $324.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. Acuity, Inc. has a 12-month low of $249.60 and a 12-month high of $380.17. The company has a market cap of $8.66 billion, a PE ratio of 20.94, a PEG ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.32.

Acuity Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 17th were issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 17th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.3%. Acuity’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.87%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in AYI. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Acuity during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new stake in Acuity during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Entrust Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Acuity during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Miller Capital Partners Inc. acquired a new stake in Acuity during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Acuity during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.21% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Acuity from $425.00 to $410.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 12th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Acuity from $320.00 to $315.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Acuity in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Acuity from $385.00 to $370.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Acuity from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, April 12th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Acuity currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $369.17.

About Acuity

Acuity Brands, Inc (NYSE: AYI) is a leading provider of lighting fixtures, controls and building management solutions designed for commercial, institutional, industrial and residential markets. The company’s core offerings include a broad range of LED luminaires, lighting controls, sensors and networked building systems that enhance energy efficiency, occupant comfort and operational productivity. Acuity Brands’ portfolio spans indoor and outdoor lighting fixtures, emergency lighting, task lighting and architectural products, as well as advanced controls such as daylight harvesting, occupancy sensing and wireless sensor networks.

Beyond traditional lighting, Acuity Brands delivers integrated digital solutions through its Connected Building platform, which combines smart sensors, cloud-based analytics and mobile applications to enable real-time monitoring and remote management of lighting and environmental systems.