Wells Fargo & Company Downgrades AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) to Equal Weight

AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday. They presently have a $132.00 price objective on the industrial products company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price suggests a potential downside of 3.05% from the stock’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Noble Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of AZZ in a research note on Tuesday, February 17th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AZZ from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 10th. Robert W. Baird set a $125.00 price target on AZZ in a report on Friday, January 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of AZZ in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Four investment 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, AZZ currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $121.20.

AZZ Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE AZZ opened at $136.15 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $4.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.80 and a beta of 1.11. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $123.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $112.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.66. AZZ has a 52-week low of $70.90 and a 52-week high of $141.18.

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

AZZ announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Friday, January 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $100.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the industrial products company to purchase up to 2.7% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at AZZ

In related news, insider Tara D. Mackey sold 2,923 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was 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 represents a 11.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Thomas E. Ferguson sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $127.29, for a total value of $3,182,250.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 158,182 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $20,134,986.78. The trade was a 13.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 33,281 shares of company stock worth $4,239,080. 1.77% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Huntington National Bank grew its position in AZZ by 206.7% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 273 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AZZ by 92.5% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 258 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AZZ during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of AZZ during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in AZZ during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. 90.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AZZ Company Profile

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.