Acuity Inc. (AYI) just showed what happens when you nail the timing on a tech transition. The lighting company reported fiscal first-quarter 2026 results Thursday that beat earnings expectations, but the real story is what's happening inside the business: its intelligent building solutions division is absolutely taking off.
The headline numbers look solid. Quarterly net sales jumped 20.2% year-over-year to $1.14 billion, matching analyst expectations. Adjusted earnings per share came in at $4.69, topping the consensus estimate of $4.59. But those figures don't capture the dramatic shift underway in Acuity's business mix.
The Tale of Two Businesses
Acuity operates through two main segments. There's Acuity Brands Lighting & Controls, the traditional business selling commercial and architectural lighting and controls. Then there's Acuity Intelligent Spaces, which provides building management systems, HVAC solutions, and audiovisual technology for smart buildings.
The growth contrast is striking. Acuity Intelligent Spaces revenue exploded 250.2% year-over-year to $257.4 million. Meanwhile, the legacy Lighting & Controls segment generated $895.1 million in revenue, up just 1.0% from the prior year. One business is sprinting, the other is basically treading water.
Profitability Holding Strong
What's impressive is that Acuity managed this growth surge while actually expanding margins. Operating margin held steady at 14.0% even as operating profit climbed 20.3%. Consolidated adjusted operating margin expanded 50 basis points to 17.2%.
Both segments saw margin improvements. Adjusted operating margin at Lighting & Controls ticked up 60 basis points to 17.9%, while Intelligent Spaces posted a 100-basis-point jump to 22.0%. That's notable because rapid growth often comes with margin pressure as companies invest heavily to scale.
Adjusted EBITDA rose to $211.2 million from $171.6 million a year earlier, with the margin expanding 50 basis points to 18.5%. Operating cash flow totaled $140.8 million for the quarter.
The company also put capital to work, repurchasing roughly 77,000 shares for approximately $28 million and paying down $100 million in term loan debt. Cash and equivalents stood at $376.1 million as of November 30, 2025, down from $422.5 million three months earlier.
Investors seem to like what they're seeing. Acuity shares have gained about 19% over the past year. In premarket trading Thursday, the stock was up 1.43% at $364.50, nearing its 52-week high of $380.16.