Acuity (NYSE:AYI) Rating Lowered to “Market Perform” at William Blair

Acuity (NYSE:AYI) was downgraded by equities researchers at William Blair from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on AYI. Wall Street Zen raised Acuity from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, August 30th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Acuity from $315.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Oppenheimer set a $465.00 target price on Acuity in a report on Friday, June 26th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Acuity from $400.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Acuity in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $392.17.

Acuity Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AYI opened at $308.23 on Monday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $331.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $311.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a current ratio of 2.05. Acuity has a one year low of $257.04 and a one year high of $380.17. The firm has a market cap of $9.23 billion, a PE ratio of 20.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.29.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Acuity news, CFO Karen Holcom sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $329.62, for a total transaction of $659,240.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 17,447 shares in the company, valued at $5,750,880.14. This represents a 10.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 2.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Acuity by 61.6% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 15,260 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $5,748,000 after purchasing an additional 5,816 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its position in Acuity by 79.9% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 1,732 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $652,000 after purchasing an additional 769 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its position in Acuity by 40.5% during the second quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,495 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $940,000 after purchasing an additional 719 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its stake in Acuity by 82.2% in the second quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 2,912 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $1,097,000 after purchasing an additional 1,314 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in Acuity by 38.2% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,566 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $1,343,000 after purchasing an additional 986 shares during the last quarter. 98.21% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Acuity News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Acuity this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Acuity expanded its board from nine to 10 members by appointing Nick Tzitzon as an independent director. His experience in artificial intelligence and technology could support the company’s digital-transformation and innovation initiatives. Acuity Inc. Appoints Nick Tzitzon to its Board of Directors
• Neutral Sentiment: Acuity is scheduled to report fiscal fourth-quarter 2026 results on October 1. Analysts are forecasting earnings per share of approximately $5.66; investors will focus on revenue, margins, demand trends and management’s outlook. Acuity Q4 2026 Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings analysis is highlighting key operating metrics beyond headline revenue and EPS. These figures could influence the stock significantly when Acuity reports results for the quarter ended August 2026. What Analyst Projections for Key Metrics Reveal About Acuity Q4 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: William Blair downgraded AYI from “outperform” to “market perform,” signaling reduced conviction in near-term outperformance.
• Negative Sentiment: Robert W. Baird lowered its price target from $390 to $360 and maintained a “neutral” rating. Although the revised target implies potential upside from recent levels, the reduction reflects more cautious expectations.

About Acuity

Acuity, formerly known as Acuity Brands, Inc, is an industrial technology company that develops products and systems for lighting, building management and connected spaces. Its offerings are designed for commercial, institutional, industrial and residential applications, helping customers manage illumination, energy use, occupancy and other aspects of the built environment.

The company’s lighting portfolio includes indoor and outdoor fixtures, lighting controls, and related components.