Investopedia: Acuity Shines A Little Brighter

There are plenty of reasons the lighting market should be a little dim these days. Residential construction activity is almost nonexistent in many major markets, Home Depot (NYSE:HD) and Lowe's (NYSE:LOW) are not seeing much renovation demand, and commercial real estate is scarcely better. On top of that, customers have other pressing financial obligations that take precedence over swapping out inefficient lighting fixtures, and many consumers are resisting the mandatory switch away from incandescent lights. 


So with Philips (NYSE:PHG) already forecasting a bad quarter from lighting, Siemens (NYSE:SI) backing that up and Cree (Nasdaq:CREE) struggling mightily, it would only make sense for Acuity Brands (NYSE:AYI), the No.1 lightning equipment company in North America, to be struggling as well.

Third Quarter Results Not As Bad As Feared
Given the gloomy guidance from Philips and Siemens, Acuity actually seemed to do quite well this quarter. Revenue was up 12% (up 9% on an organic basis) and nearly matched the high-end estimate on the Street. Growth was boosted by volume (up 5%), and the company seems to be succeeding in pushing through price increases. 




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