Log In

AYI: Time Is on Our Side as AYI Enters the First Phase of “Re-Rating”; Lowering Price Objective to $129

January 10th, 2017

When we first introduced AYI as a short idea approximately 9-months ago, the largest pushback on the merits of our investment thesis related to the perceived quality of the company’s management team. ...

READ MORE >

AYI: Lighting Agent Survey - Pricing Pressure on LED Lighting Products Continues to Mount

December 22nd, 2016

We recently completed a survey of lighting agents across the country. The feedback from our survey confirms our view that: Revenue growth in the lighting industry has started to slow Pricing pressure on LED products...

READ MORE >

AYI: Now the Shot Clock on Growth Is Officially Ticking, Just Ask the Dept. of Energy

October 6th, 2016

Yes, it’s true that AYI does not provide earnings guidance for investors, but the manner in which the company handled its latest earnings release has to be viewed as troubling.  AYI missed by a wide margin on both the top...

READ MORE >

AYI: The Narrative Is About to Change, Time to Get Short

April 26th, 2016

As a firm, we pride ourselves on the rigors of our idea generation process. Rigorous fundamental analysis, in-depth primary research, accounting scrutiny etc. are all hallmarks of our investment process.  However, despite the intensity of our work on any...

READ MORE >

AYI: Can the Company Clear a Higher Bar? Our Short Term Concerns Outweigh Our Long-Term Enthusiasm, Closing Out Long...

January 7th, 2011

Acuity Brands has been our favorite long idea in the industrials complex over the past year.  As a pure-play lighting equipment manufacturer with a growing portfolio of LED products and lighting...

READ MORE >

AYI: Channel Checks Indicate the Company Is Poised to Deliver Another Quarter of Revenue and EPS Upside

October 4th, 2010

Acuity Brands will report 4Q10 earnings on Wednesday, October 6th before the market opens. Based on our checks with approximately 35-40 lighting agents across the country we anticipate the company is poised to...

READ MORE >

AYI: 3Q10 Consensus Revenue Expectations Look Reasonable, Expect EPS Upside in the Form of Continued Gross Margin...

June 29th, 2010

AYI will report 3Q10 results before the market opens tomorrow. We expect the company to deliver inline revenues, but once again top consensus estimates due to better than expected gross margins. ...

READ MORE >

Can AYI's 2Q10 Results Justify the Run-up in the Stock? What Channel Feedback Tells Us - Closing Out Our Long AYI/Short...

March 26th, 2010

Approximately four months ago we introduced a pair trade: long AYI/short HUBB based on our view that AYI shares were poised for mean reversion in stock price performance relative to those of HUBB and...

READ MORE >

Our Expectations for AYI’s 1Q10 Results, the Company Has Plenty of “Dry Powder” Heading Into 2010

March 12th, 2010

This report was originally published on 1/4/10.A few weeks ago we introduced a pair-trade: long AYI/short HUBBbased on our expectation that AYI shares were poised to witness absolute and relative upside following an...

READ MORE >

Shedding Some “Light” On a New Pair Trade Idea: Long Acuity Brands (AYI)/Short Hubbell Inc. (HUBB)

March 11th, 2010

This report was originally published on 12/3/09.We have been long-time admirers of the business models of the leading electrical product manufacturers including: Cooper Industries, Thomas and Betts, Hubbell...

READ MORE >

Current Ideas

EXPI

SELL/SHORT

$4

HUSQ.B

SELL

$50

UFPI

SELL/SHORT

$45

TREX

SHORT

$18

PRDO

SELL/SHORT

$5

STRA

SELL/SHORT

$42

CWH

LONG

$75

OSTK

LONG

$128

CM

SELL/SHORT

$50

RY

SELL/SHORT

$50

ARC

LONG

$5.50

AYI

SHORT

$50

BIG

SHORT

$28

WWE

LONG

$65

XOXO

LONG

$37

RLGY

PAIR TRADE

$10

RDFN

PAIR TRADE

$30

BCO

LONG

$35

ING.PA

SHORT

$35

TRUP

SELL/SHORT

$10

CTC

SHORT

$101

ATGE

SHORT

$15

HCG.TO

SHORT

$0

RON.TO

SHORT

$9

ESI

SHORT

$0

BGG

PAIR - LONG BGG/SHORT TTC

25%

TTC

PAIR - LONG BGG/SHORT TTC

25%

Z

SHORT

$14.00

NA.TO

SHORT

$22

ZU

SHORT

$15

TRLA

SHORT

$20

MCRS

SHORT

$31

APOL

SHORT

$35

OPEN

SHORT

$30

KNL

PAIR - LONG KNL/SHORT MLHR

25%

CSGP

SHORT

$100

GCA

LONG

$8

IPSU

LONG

$20

MLHR

SHORT

$22

LOOP

PAIR - LONG CSGP/SHORT LOOP

40%

THQI

LONG

$35

WPO

SHORT

$275

COCO

SHORT

$0

HNI

SIG

RGR