Reliance (NYSE:RS) Announces Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.40 EPS

Reliance (NYSE:RS) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The industrial products company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.80 by ($0.40), FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $3.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.45 billion. Reliance had a return on equity of 10.37% and a net margin of 5.23%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.22 EPS. Reliance updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 4.500-4.70 EPS.

Reliance Stock Performance

NYSE RS opened at $336.49 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $316.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $294.58. The stock has a market cap of $17.59 billion, a PE ratio of 24.60, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a current ratio of 4.43. Reliance has a fifty-two week low of $250.07 and a fifty-two week high of $365.59.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. KeyCorp reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of Reliance in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Reliance in a report on Monday, December 29th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on Reliance from $340.00 to $315.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 24th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Reliance from $284.00 to $287.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Reliance from $345.00 to $340.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Reliance has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $317.25.

Key Reliance News

Here are the key news stories impacting Reliance this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Revenue and volumes beat/grew — Q4 net sales rose to $3.50B (up 11.9% YoY) and the company reported record annual tons sold, showing underlying demand and top-line momentum. Reliance, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns stepped up — management repurchased $594.1M of stock in 2025 (including $200.1M in Q4) and raised the quarterly dividend ~4.2% to $1.25, supporting long-term cash return to investors. Reliance, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 2026 EPS guidance roughly in line — management set Q1 EPS guidance of $4.50–$4.70 (consensus ~$4.59), so guidance mostly met expectations but leaves room for dispersion. Reliance, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst/strategy write-ups highlight sector/technical appeal — some commentary positions Reliance as a dividend-growth commodity play (technical view), which could attract longer-term income investors even if short-term reaction is negative. Take Advantage Of The Rotation Into Commodities With Dividend Growth Stock Reliance (Technical Analysis)
• Neutral Sentiment: Management to present at BMO conference later this month — watch for incremental detail on volumes, margins and capital allocation at the Feb. 24–25 presentation. Reliance, Inc. Announces Participation at the BMO Global Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals Conference
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss: reported EPS was $2.40 vs. the ~$2.78 consensus, sparking the immediate selloff despite the revenue beat. Reliance (RS) Misses Q4 Earnings Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Margin and earnings quality pressure — GAAP EPS and pretax income fell (LIFO expense increased in Q4), gross-profit and pretax margins compressed year-over-year, and management cited LIFO and other items that reduced reported profitability. These factors raise near-term earnings uncertainty. Reliance, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results Compared to Estimates, Reliance (RS) Q4 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Note on unrelated coverage — a Moneycontrol piece refers to Reliance Industries (Indian company) and is not related to U.S.-listed Reliance, Inc. (RS). Buy Reliance Industries; target of Rs 1688: Prabhudas Lilladher

Insider Transactions at Reliance

In other news, COO Stephen Paul Koch sold 3,066 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $283.56, for a total transaction of $869,394.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 14,021 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,975,794.76. This trade represents a 17.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Karla R. Lewis sold 5,809 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $283.50, for a total transaction of $1,646,851.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 84,421 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,933,353.50. This represents a 6.44% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.35% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Reliance

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of RS. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. raised its stake in Reliance by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 2,036 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $588,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the period. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Reliance by 31.4% during the second quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 201 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its position in shares of Reliance by 86.2% during the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 108 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in shares of Reliance by 87.3% in the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 118 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. grew its position in Reliance by 7.3% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 842 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $243,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. 79.26% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Reliance

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co (NYSE: RS) is a leading metals service center company that distributes and processes a broad array of metal products. The company offers cut-to-length, shearing, blanking, sawing, bending, machining and value-added services for carbon and alloy steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, titanium and specialty metal alloys. Its products serve diverse end markets, including energy, infrastructure, general manufacturing, transportation, aerospace and defense.

Founded in 1939 in Los Angeles, Reliance Steel & Aluminum has grown through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions.