Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) Short Interest Update

Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 319,233 shares, an increase of 85.6% from the November 30th total of 171,988 shares. Currently, 0.8% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 217,552 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days. Based on an average trading volume of 217,552 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days. Currently, 0.8% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Brady Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of BRC opened at $80.17 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.07, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a market cap of $3.78 billion, a PE ratio of 19.60 and a beta of 0.69. Brady has a 1 year low of $62.70 and a 1 year high of $84.03. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $78.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $75.00.

Brady (NYSE:BRC) last announced its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $405.29 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $393.65 million. Brady had a return on equity of 19.06% and a net margin of 12.74%.The business’s revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.12 earnings per share. Brady has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-5.150 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Brady will post 4.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Brady Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Friday, January 9th will be given a dividend of $0.245 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 9th. This represents a $0.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Brady’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.96%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on BRC shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Brady in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen cut Brady from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has issued a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Strong Buy”.

Insider Activity

In other Brady news, insider Brett Wilms sold 3,791 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.13, for a total value of $296,190.83. Following the sale, the insider owned 7,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $599,413.36. This trade represents a 33.07% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, General Counsel Andrew Gorman sold 12,528 shares of Brady stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.01, for a total value of $1,002,365.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 14,153 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,132,381.53. This represents a 46.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 73,278 shares of company stock valued at $5,671,221 over the last three months. 15.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Brady

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of Brady by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 216,892 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $15,321,000 after buying an additional 3,572 shares during the period. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in Brady by 12.4% in the first quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 9,945 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $703,000 after acquiring an additional 1,098 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Brady in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in Brady by 380.3% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,451 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $456,000 after purchasing an additional 5,108 shares during the period. Finally, Hancock Whitney Corp raised its holdings in Brady by 14.7% during the 1st quarter. Hancock Whitney Corp now owns 3,403 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $240,000 after purchasing an additional 437 shares during the last quarter. 76.28% of the stock is owned by 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.