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AZZ (AZZ) Beats Stock Market Upswing: What Investors Need to Know

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AZZ (AZZ - Free Report) closed at $85 in the latest trading session, marking a +0.47% move from the prior day. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.03%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.56%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.59%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the electrical equipment maker had gained 16.4% over the past month. This has outpaced the Industrial Products sector's gain of 1.13% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.19% in that time.

The investment community will be paying close attention to the earnings performance of AZZ in its upcoming release. The company's earnings per share (EPS) are projected to be $1.30, reflecting a 14.04% increase from the same quarter last year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $398.9 million, up 2.05% from the year-ago period.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $4.85 per share and a revenue of $1.6 billion, demonstrating changes of +7.06% and +4.26%, respectively, from the preceding year.

Furthermore, it would be beneficial for investors to monitor any recent shifts in analyst projections for AZZ. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the company's business and profitability.

Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has shifted 0.34% upward. Right now, AZZ possesses a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

In terms of valuation, AZZ is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 17.44. This denotes a discount relative to the industry's average Forward P/E of 22.59.

We can also see that AZZ currently has a PEG ratio of 1.25. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The average PEG ratio for the Manufacturing - Electronics industry stood at 1.91 at the close of the market yesterday.

The Manufacturing - Electronics industry is part of the Industrial Products sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 32, which puts it in the top 13% of all 250+ industries.

The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

To follow AZZ in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.


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