AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) Reaches New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

AZZ Inc. (NYSE:AZZ)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $157.48 and last traded at $156.9890, with a volume of 536202 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $152.01.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b+)” rating on shares of AZZ in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of AZZ from $125.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $152.00 price objective on shares of AZZ in a report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company cut AZZ from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $127.00 to $132.00 in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, B. Riley Financial upped their target price on AZZ from $167.00 to $169.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, AZZ currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $152.00.

AZZ Trading Down 0.1%

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $141.98 and a two-hundred day moving average of $128.81. The company has a market cap of $4.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.95 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.70.

AZZ (NYSE:AZZ) last released its 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $382.24 million. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 9.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.98 earnings per share. AZZ has set its FY 2027 guidance at 6.500-7.000 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that AZZ Inc. will post 6.78 earnings per share for the current year.

AZZ Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 23rd were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 23rd. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. AZZ’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.62%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AZZ

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AZZ. SEB Asset Management AB purchased a new position in shares of AZZ during the first quarter valued at approximately $45,297,000. Copeland Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AZZ by 222.5% during the 4th quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 466,140 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $49,961,000 after buying an additional 321,611 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in shares of AZZ by 861.6% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 315,485 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,814,000 after buying an additional 282,676 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in shares of AZZ by 93.2% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 549,291 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $58,873,000 after buying an additional 264,956 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aberdeen Group plc bought a new stake in shares of AZZ in the fourth quarter worth $18,429,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.93% of the company’s stock.

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.