Brady (NYSE:BRC) Sets New 12-Month High – Here’s Why

Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $96.99 and last traded at $95.1850, with a volume of 12155 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $94.61.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Brady in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen raised Brady from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has assigned a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy”.

Brady Trading Up 1.3%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 2.07 and a quick ratio of 1.39. The company has a market cap of $4.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.41 and a beta of 0.63. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $83.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.61.

Brady (NYSE:BRC) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 17th. The industrial products company reported $1.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.18 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $405.29 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $393.65 million. Brady had a return on equity of 19.06% and a net margin of 12.74%.Brady’s revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.12 earnings per share. Brady has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-5.150 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Brady Corporation will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brady Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Friday, January 9th were issued a $0.245 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 9th. This represents a $0.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Brady’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.96%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Brady

In other Brady news, COO Thomas F. Debruine sold 5,538 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total transaction of $448,578.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 10,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $824,661. The trade was a 35.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Russell Shaller sold 17,130 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.25, for a total value of $1,391,812.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 141,421 shares in the company, valued at $11,490,456.25. This trade represents a 10.80% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 73,586 shares of company stock valued at $5,720,907 in the last quarter. Insiders own 15.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brady

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Brady by 22.4% in the 3rd quarter. Prentiss Smith & Co. Inc. now owns 70,984 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $5,539,000 after purchasing an additional 12,987 shares during the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new stake in Brady in the second quarter worth $457,000. Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its stake in Brady by 245.8% during the second quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 19,556 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $1,329,000 after buying an additional 13,901 shares during the period. BTS Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Brady during the second quarter valued at $450,000. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Brady in the second quarter valued at $423,000. 76.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Brady

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.