Versor Investments LP Takes $686,000 Position in AZZ Inc. $AZZ

Versor Investments LP purchased a new position in shares of AZZ Inc. (NYSE:AZZ) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 6,403 shares of the industrial products company’s stock, valued at approximately $686,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in AZZ by 9.7% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 162,812 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $17,768,000 after purchasing an additional 14,430 shares in the last quarter. Wedge Capital Management L L P NC bought a new stake in AZZ during the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,120,000. AlphaQuest LLC bought a new stake in AZZ during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,032,000. Capital International Investors lifted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 157,529 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Schweiz AG purchased a new stake in AZZ during the third quarter valued at about $4,365,000. 90.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AZZ Price Performance

AZZ stock opened at $144.15 on Thursday. AZZ Inc. has a one year low of $86.67 and a one year high of $151.67. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $132.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $121.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.70 and a quick ratio of 1.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.73 and a beta of 1.17.

AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The industrial products company reported $1.34 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.15. AZZ had a return on equity of 14.47% and a net margin of 19.23%.The firm had revenue of $385.10 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $382.24 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.98 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. AZZ has set its FY 2027 guidance at 6.500-7.000 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that AZZ Inc. will post 6.78 EPS for the current year.

AZZ announced that its board has authorized a share buyback 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 stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

AZZ Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 23rd will be given a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 23rd. AZZ’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $152.00 price objective on shares of AZZ in a report on Monday, April 27th. Wall Street Zen lowered AZZ from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 2nd. B. Riley Financial raised their price target on AZZ from $167.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on AZZ from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Finally, Noble Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of AZZ in a report on Tuesday, February 17th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.80.

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.