What Happened?

Shares of metal coating and infrastructure solutions provider AZZ (NYSE: AZZ) jumped 9.9% in the morning session after the company reported record financial results for the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year and raised its full-year guidance. The metal coatings and coil coating solutions provider announced adjusted earnings per share of $1.78, a 21.9% increase from the prior year and well ahead of Wall Street's consensus estimate of $1.58. While total sales of $422 million were up 2.1% year-over-year, they slightly missed analyst expectations. The strong bottom-line performance was driven by the Metal Coatings segment, which saw sales jump 6.0% to $187.2 million due to higher volumes for hot-dip galvanized steel and improved operational productivity. Buoyed by the strong start to the year, AZZ raised its full-year fiscal 2026 guidance. The company now projects adjusted earnings per share between $5.75 and $6.25, an increase from previous forecasts, signaling management's confidence in sustained profitability.

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What Is The Market Telling Us

AZZ’s shares are somewhat volatile and have had 10 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

AZZ is up 33.6% since the beginning of the year, and at $110.74 per share, has set a new 52-week high. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of AZZ’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $3,789.

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