DailyIQ
AYIAcuity Inc.

Earnings Release

Acuity Inc.'s latest earnings press release, filed Oct 1, 2026, scored line by line for tone, guidance and what changed since the prior release.

No guidance given60 lines scoredFiled Oct 1, 2026SEC 8-K · Exhibit 99
Release Tone
80
UPBEAT
GuidanceNo guidance givenWhat this release does to the company's outlook
Tone change▲ 1.0pointsvs the prior release (Jun 25, 2026)
Hedging language0.00per 100 words▼ 0.32 vs prior
New this quarter16of 60 linesWording that was not in the prior release

The lines that matter most

Ranked by how material, how strongly worded and how new each sentence is.

  1. 1

    During the year we repaid $200 million of our term loan, we increased our dividend by 18 percent, and we repurchased over 940,000 shares of common stock for $287.2 million.

    New this quarter
  2. 2

    Net sales of $4.6 billion for the full year of fiscal 2026 increased $296.2 million, or 6.8 percent, compared to the prior year.

  3. 3

    ■ Delivered Fiscal Q4 2026 Diluted EPS of $5.63, Up 56% Compared to the Prior Year; Adjusted Diluted EPS of $5.77, Up 11% Compared to the Prior Year

  4. 4

    ■ Delivered Fiscal Q4 2026 Net Sales of $1.2B, Up 3% Compared to the Prior Year

  5. 5

    ■ Delivered Fiscal 2026 Net Sales of $4.6B, Up 7% Compared to the Prior Year

  6. 6

    ■ Delivered Fiscal 2026 Diluted EPS of $17.05, Up 36% Compared to the Prior Year; Adjusted Diluted EPS of $19.90, Up 11% Compared to the Prior Year

  7. 7

    Diluted earnings per share was $17.05 for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of $4.52, or 36.1 percent, compared to the prior year.

  8. 8

    AIS operating profit was $186.5 million for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of $110.4 million, or 145.1 percent, compared to the prior year.

Release by release

Tone and guidance for the last 2 earnings releases.

  1. Oct 1, 2026No guidance given79.6+1.0
  2. Jun 25, 2026No guidance given78.5

Bar length: tone on a 50–85 scale.

The release, annotated

1Highlight rankPositive toneNeutralNegative toneDimmed text: low materiality
Solid Execution Delivers Net Sales Growth, Improved Operating Performance, and Strong Cash Flow
Fiscal Q4 2026 Highlights:
4■ Delivered Fiscal Q4 2026 Net Sales of $1.2B, Up 3% Compared to the Prior Year
3■ Delivered Fiscal Q4 2026 Diluted EPS of $5.63, Up 56% Compared to the Prior Year; Adjusted Diluted EPS of $5.77, Up 11% Compared to the Prior Year
5■ Delivered Fiscal 2026 Net Sales of $4.6B, Up 7% Compared to the Prior Year
6■ Delivered Fiscal 2026 Diluted EPS of $17.05, Up 36% Compared to the Prior Year; Adjusted Diluted EPS of $19.90, Up 11% Compared to the Prior Year
■ Generated $826M in Cash Flow from Operations in Fiscal 2026
ATLANTA, October 1, 2026 - Acuity Inc. (NYSE: AYI) ("Acuity"), a market-leading industrial technology company, delivered net sales of $1.2 billion in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 ended August 31, 2026, an increase of $35.3 million, or 2.9 percent, compared to the prior year.
" We demonstrated solid execution in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026.
We grew sales and expanded our adjusted operating profit and adjusted operating profit margin.
We increased our adjusted diluted earnings per share, generated strong cash flow and allocated capital effectively ," stated Neil Ashe, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Acuity Inc. "Throughout fiscal 2026 we strengthened Acuity Brands Lighting while continuing to scale Acuity Intelligent Spaces, building the operating and financial capacity needed to compound growth and value over time."
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 we received $44.9 million in tariff refunds, which are reflected as a non-GAAP adjustment in our results.
We also took certain actions that resulted in $17.8 million of special charges.
Of these charges $14.7 million related to initiatives in our Acuity Brands Lighting segment involving our product portfolio, supply chain, and operating footprint, while $3.1 million related to a facility impairment in our Acuity Intelligent Spaces segment.
Operating profit was $227.0 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of $46.4 million, or 25.7 percent, compared to the prior year.
Operating profit as a percent of net sales was 18.2 percent in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of 330 basis points compared to the prior year.
Adjusted operating profit was $232.9 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of $7.6 million, or 3.4 percent, compared to the prior year.
Adjusted operating profit as a percent of net sales was 18.7 percent in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of 10 basis points compared to the prior year.
Diluted earnings per share was $5.63 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of $2.02, or 56.0 percent, compared to the prior year.
Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $5.77 in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of $0.57, or 11.0 percent, compared to the prior year.
Full-Year 2026 Summary
2Net sales of $4.6 billion for the full year of fiscal 2026 increased $296.2 million, or 6.8 percent, compared to the prior year.
Operating profit was $713.7 million for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of $149.8 million, or 26.6 percent, compared to the prior year.
Operating profit as a percent of net sales was 15.4 percent, an increase of 240 basis points compared to the prior year.
Adjusted operating profit was $828.7 million for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of $60.1 million, or 7.8 percent, compared to the prior year.
Adjusted operating profit as a percent of net sales was 17.9 percent, an increase of 20 basis points compared to the prior year.
7Diluted earnings per share was $17.05 for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of $4.52, or 36.1 percent, compared to the prior year.
Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $19.90, an increase of $1.89, or 10.5 percent, compared to the prior year.
Segment Performance
Acuity Brands Lighting ("ABL")
Fourth-Quarter Results
ABL generated net sales of $958.7 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, a decrease of $3.7 million, or 0.4 percent, compared to the prior year.
ABL operating profit was $188.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of $5.8 million, or 3.2 percent, compared to the prior year.
ABL operating profit as a percent of ABL net sales was 19.7 percent in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of 70 basis points compared to the prior year.
ABL adjusted operating profit was $179.8 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, a decrease of $13.8 million, or 7.1 percent, compared to the prior year.
ABL adjusted operating profit as a percent of ABL net
sales was 18.8 percent in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, a decrease of 130 basis points compared to the prior year.
Full-Year Results
ABL generated net sales of $3.6 billion for the full year of fiscal 2026, a decrease of $35.8 million, or 1.0 percent, compared to the prior year.
ABL operating profit was $623.5 million for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of $32.9 million, or 5.6 percent, compared to the prior year.
ABL operating profit as a percent of ABL net sales was 17.4 percent for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of 100 basis points compared to the prior year.
ABL adjusted operating profit was $646.0 million for the full year of fiscal 2026, a decrease of $16.3 million, or 2.5 percent, compared to the prior year.
ABL adjusted operating profit as a percent of ABL net sales was 18.1 percent for the full year of fiscal 2026, a decrease of 20 basis points compared to the prior year.
Acuity Intelligent Spaces ("AIS")
Fourth-Quarter Results
AIS generated net sales of $297.6 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of $42.4 million, or 16.6 percent, compared to the prior year.
AIS operating profit was $64.7 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of $36.7 million, or 131.1 percent, compared to the prior year.
AIS operating profit as a percent of AIS net sales was 21.7 percent in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of 1,070 basis points compared to the prior year.
AIS adjusted operating profit was $74.1 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of $19.5 million, or 35.7 percent, compared to the prior year.
AIS adjusted operating profit as a percent of AIS net sales was 24.9 percent in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of 350 basis points compared to the prior year.
Full-Year Results
AIS generated net sales of $1.1 billion for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of $342.3 million, or 44.8 percent, compared to the prior year.
8AIS operating profit was $186.5 million for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of $110.4 million, or 145.1 percent, compared to the prior year.
AIS operating profit as a percent of AIS net sales was 16.9 percent for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of 690 basis points compared to the prior year.
AIS adjusted operating profit was $255.0 million for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of $90.7 million, or 55.2 percent, compared to the prior year.
AIS adjusted operating profit as a percent of AIS net sales was 23.0 percent for the full year of fiscal 2026, an increase of 150 basis points compared to the prior year.
Cash Flow and Capital Allocation
Net cash from operating activities was $825.6 million for the full year of fiscal 2026.
1During the year we repaid $200 million of our term loan, we increased our dividend by 18 percent, and we repurchased over 940,000 shares of common stock for $287.2 million.
Press Release Exhibit 99.1
70 boilerplate lines (safe-harbor disclaimer, contacts, call details) are set aside.

How this is scored

  • Source: the press release Acuity Inc. filed with the SEC as Exhibit 99 to Form 8-K (Item 2.02). Financial statements and boilerplate are set aside.
  • Tone: a financial sentiment model scores each sentence 0 to 100; the release score weights sentences by how material they are.
  • Materiality and guidance: a classifier judges whether each sentence is specific information, and what the release does to the outlook.
  • New this quarter: wording that does not appear in the prior release.
  • Hedging: uncertainty words (may, could, approximately, headwinds and similar) per 100 words of narrative.

These scores describe the release's language. They are not a forecast or a recommendation. Read the original filing

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