Should I Buy AYI? AYI 2026 Analysis

Should You Buy Acuity Inc (AYI) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Conclusion

Hold

Latest Price

328.390

1 Day change

3.93%

52 Week Range

380.170

Analysis Updated At

2026/02/04

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Not a good buy right now for an impatient entry: price is sitting just below the key pivot (313.43) with converging moving averages (indecision) and pattern-based odds pointing to near-term drift lower.
Options positioning is notably bullish (call-heavy open interest and call-only volume), but without a confirming price breakout or proprietary buy signals, the risk/reward for buying immediately is not compelling.
Intellectia Proprietary Trading Signals
AI Stock Picker: no signal on given stock today.
SwingMax: No signal on given stock recently.

Technical Analysis

Trend/Momentum: MACD histogram is positive and expanding (0.967), which is supportive, but RSI(6) at 47.7 is neutral and not confirming a strong push.
Moving averages: Converging MAs suggest consolidation rather than a clean uptrend; this often leads to chop or a break that needs confirmation.
Key levels: Pre-market ~312.65 is slightly below Pivot 313.43.
- Support: 308.03 (S1), then 304.69 (S2)
- Resistance: 318.83 (R1), then 322.17 (R2)
Quant/pattern read: Similar-pattern projection shows a mild bearish bias (next day -0.28%, next week -2.93%, next month -2.7%), reinforcing “not a chase” at current levels.

Options Data

Bullish

Open Interest Put-Call Ratio

Bullish

Option Volume Put-Call Ratio

Sentiment: Very call-skewed positioning (OI put/call 0.22) and today’s volume is effectively call-only (put volume 0; put/call volume ratio 0.0) → bullish trader bias.
Activity: Total option volume 34, but ~242.86% of 30-day average volume (unusual relative activity).
Volatility: 30D IV ~31 vs historical vol ~28.27 (slightly elevated). IV percentile ~53.2 (mid), IV rank ~15.64 (low-ish vs year range), suggesting options aren’t extremely expensive despite the call interest.
Interpretation: Options lean bullish, but the tape (price/MA structure) hasn’t confirmed—this looks more like positioning ahead of a move than a move already underway.

Technical Summary

Sell

Buy

Positive Catalysts

- Latest quarter strength (2026/Q1): revenue +20.19% YoY, EPS +13.69% YoY, gross margin improved to 48.42% (+2.54% YoY) supports a higher-quality fundamental backdrop.
- Options market skew is bullish (call-heavy open interest and volume), which can precede upside attempts.
- No negative news flow in the past week to pressure sentiment.

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

- No near-term event/news catalyst visible in the past week to force an upside repricing.
- Technical setup is not a clean trend: MAs converging + RSI neutral; price is below the pivot level.
- Pattern-based forward odds tilt modestly negative over 1W–1M.
- Wall Street tone cooled: Baird kept Neutral and cut PT meaningfully (408 → 375), implying limited near-term upside conviction.
- Flows: Hedge funds and insiders are described as Neutral; no strong “smart money” tailwind indicated.
- Politics: No recent congress trading data available (no supportive signal from that channel).

Financial Performance

2026/Q1 (latest quarter):
- Revenue: $1.1437B (+20.19% YoY)
- Net Income: $120.5M (+12.93% YoY)
- EPS: $3.82 (+13.69% YoY)
- Gross Margin: 48.42% (+2.54% YoY)
Takeaway: Strong top-line growth with improving margin profile; profitability is growing but slower than revenue (some operating/investment drag), still fundamentally constructive.

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

Recent change (2026-01-09): Baird (Timothy Wojs) maintained Neutral and reduced price target to $375 from $408 after modest Q1 upside but noting expectations were higher.
Wall Street pros view (inferred from the update):
- Pros: Acknowledges Q1 upside and solid business performance.
- Cons: PT cut + Neutral suggests upside is viewed as more limited at current valuation/expectations, and execution may need to stay strong to justify multiple expansion.

6 Analyst Rating

Wall Street analysts forecast AYI stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for AYI is 401.25 USD with a low forecast of 375 USD and a high forecast of 435 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.

5 Buy

1 Hold

0 Sell

Strong Buy

Current: 315.960

Low

375

Averages

401.25

High

435

Current: 315.960

Low

375

Averages

401.25

High

435

Baird

Timothy Wojs

Neutral

downgrade

$408 -> $375

AI Analysis

2026-01-09

Reason

Baird

Timothy Wojs

Price Target

$408 -> $375

AI Analysis

2026-01-09

downgrade

Neutral

Reason

Baird analyst Timothy Wojs lowered the firm's price target on Acuity Brands to $375 from $408 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. The firm updated its model following modest upside to Q1 results while noting expectations were higher.

Baird

Neutral

maintain

$335 -> $360

2025-09-25

Reason

Baird

Price Target

$335 -> $360

2025-09-25

maintain

Neutral

Reason

Baird raised the firm's price target on Acuity Brands to $360 from $335 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. The firm updated its model following lighting channel checks which Q4 volumes and prices moderating sequentially.

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AYI Should I Buy

AYI Should I Buy

Should You Buy Acuity Inc (AYI) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Technical Analysis

Options Data

Technical Summary

Positive Catalysts

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

Financial Performance

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

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