Acuity (NYSE:AYI) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Acuity (NYSE:AYI) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 19.000-20.500 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 19.400. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.7 billion-$4.9 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.8 billion.

Acuity Stock Performance

Acuity stock opened at $322.53 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $362.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $339.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.95. The stock has a market cap of $9.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.74, a PEG ratio of 1.98 and a beta of 1.50. Acuity has a fifty-two week low of $216.81 and a fifty-two week high of $380.17.

Acuity (NYSE:AYI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 8th. The electronics maker reported $4.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.45 by $0.24. Acuity had a net margin of 9.13% and a return on equity of 20.81%. The company had revenue of $1.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.14 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.97 EPS. Acuity’s revenue was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Acuity will post 15.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on AYI shares. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Acuity from $312.00 to $356.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 2nd. Wall Street Zen raised Acuity from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 15th. William Blair reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Acuity in a research note on Tuesday, December 30th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Acuity in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Acuity in a research report on Thursday, October 2nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $395.17.

Insider Transactions at Acuity

In other news, SVP Barry R. Goldman sold 4,489 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $365.11, for a total transaction of $1,638,978.79. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 6,056 shares in the company, valued at $2,211,106.16. This trade represents a 42.57% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.90% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Acuity

Here are the key news stories impacting Acuity this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on profitability and growth — Acuity delivered adjusted EPS of $4.69 (vs. $4.45 consensus), delivered net sales of ~$1.1B (up ~20% YoY), and expanded adjusted operating profit and margins, showing healthy execution on growth and pricing. Acuity Reports Fiscal 2026 First-Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted metrics improved — adjusted diluted EPS rose ~18% YoY and adjusted operating profit grew ~24% YoY, supporting the company’s mid/longer-term earnings trajectory. Listen to Conference Call / Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue roughly in line with estimates — reported sales matched Street expectations, so upside was concentrated in margins and mix rather than topline surprise. Acuity Brands’s (NYSE:AYI) Q4 CY2025 Earnings Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Small analyst estimate tweaks — Zacks trimmed near-term quarterly estimates slightly but retains a hold view; these edits are modest and not the primary driver of the move. Acuity (AYI) Q1 Earnings: How Key Metrics Compare to Wall Street Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Cautious FY26 guidance — Acuity set EPS guidance of 19.00–20.50 (consensus ~19.40) and revenue guidance of $4.7B–$4.9B (consensus ~$4.8B). The wide ranges and lower bounds below consensus appear to have been read as conservative, prompting investor selling.
• Negative Sentiment: Seasonality shift / backlog normalization flagged — management noted a Q2 seasonality change and backlog normalization that could temper near-term revenue cadence despite strong trailing results. Acuity signals Q2 seasonality shift and highlights 20% net sales growth amid backlog normalization
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market weakness also a headwind — the Nasdaq dip on the day amplified downward pressure on AYI alongside company-specific guidance caution. Nasdaq Falls Over 100 Points; Acuity Posts Upbeat Earnings

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Acuity

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brown Advisory Inc. lifted its holdings in Acuity by 1.8% in the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 2,134 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $637,000 after acquiring an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its position in shares of Acuity by 1.6% during the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 2,488 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $857,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP raised its stake in shares of Acuity by 59.2% in the 3rd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 113 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. GeoWealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Acuity by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 789 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $272,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its position in shares of Acuity by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 967 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $288,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.21% of the company’s stock.

Acuity Company Profile

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.