Brady (NYSE:BRC) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume Following Analyst Upgrade

Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) shares saw unusually-high trading volume on Wednesday after Sidoti upgraded the stock from a neutral rating to a buy rating. Sidoti now has a $103.00 price target on the stock. Approximately 426,459 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 55% from the previous session’s volume of 275,217 shares.The stock last traded at $77.8620 and had previously closed at $76.44.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on BRC. Weiss Ratings lowered Brady from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Brady from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $103.00.

Institutional Trading of Brady

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BRC. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Brady in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. increased its position in Brady by 72.1% in the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 389 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in Brady in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its position in Brady by 42.4% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the period. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in Brady in the first quarter worth about $40,000. 76.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Brady Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $82.42 and a 200 day moving average of $83.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.01 and a quick ratio of 1.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.67 and a beta of 0.62.

Brady (NYSE:BRC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 18th. The industrial products company reported $1.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.15. Brady had a return on equity of 19.01% and a net margin of 12.93%.The firm had revenue of $435.24 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $406.07 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.22 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 13.7% on a year-over-year basis. Brady has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.200-5.300 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Brady Corporation will post 5.25 EPS for the current year.

Brady Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.245 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $0.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. Brady’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.32%.

Brady Company Profile

Brady Corporation is a global provider of identification and safety solutions, specializing in the design, manufacture and sale of products that help businesses improve safety, security and efficiency. The company offers an array of durable labels, signs, safety devices, printing systems and software platforms tailored to a wide range of industrial and commercial environments.

Founded in 1914 by William H. Brady, Brady Corporation has grown from a regional marker manufacturer into a diversified global enterprise.