Kennedy Capital Management LLC Has $23.05 Million Stock Position in AZZ Inc. $AZZ

Kennedy Capital Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of AZZ Inc. (NYSE:AZZ) by 18.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 211,216 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 48,056 shares during the quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC owned about 0.70% of AZZ worth $23,050,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in AZZ. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in AZZ by 103.5% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 276,990 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $30,228,000 after buying an additional 140,877 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in AZZ by 96.0% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 8,598 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $938,000 after acquiring an additional 4,212 shares during the period. Mackenzie Financial Corp acquired a new stake in AZZ in the third quarter valued at approximately $207,000. Magnetar Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of AZZ during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,171,000. Finally, Capital International Investors increased its holdings in shares of AZZ by 8.7% during the third quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 1,961,247 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $214,031,000 after acquiring an additional 157,529 shares in the last quarter. 90.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AZZ Stock Up 0.6%

Shares of NYSE AZZ traded up $0.77 during trading on Friday, hitting $122.41. The stock had a trading volume of 23,923 shares, compared to its average volume of 172,065. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $127.19 and a two-hundred day moving average of $113.88. AZZ Inc. has a 12 month low of $70.90 and a 12 month high of $141.18. The company has a market capitalization of $3.66 billion, a PE ratio of 11.59 and a beta of 1.11.

AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 7th. The industrial products company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $425.75 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $412.97 million. AZZ had a net margin of 19.89% and a return on equity of 14.45%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.39 EPS. AZZ has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.900-6.200 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that AZZ Inc. will post 5.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AZZ Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 5th were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 5th. AZZ’s payout ratio is presently 7.52%.

AZZ declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase plan on Friday, January 30th that permits the company to buyback $100.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the industrial products company to reacquire up to 2.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on AZZ shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of AZZ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of AZZ from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $127.00 to $132.00 in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Robert W. Baird set a $125.00 price objective on shares of AZZ in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Noble Financial reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of AZZ in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Finally, Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $137.00 target price on shares of AZZ in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $127.00.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Tara D. Mackey sold 2,923 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were 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 approximately $3,042,728. This trade represents a 11.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Thomas E. Ferguson sold 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The stock was 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 33,281 shares of company stock valued at $4,239,080. 1.77% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.