Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) Short Interest Up 26.6% in February

Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) was the target of a significant growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 529,219 shares, a growth of 26.6% from the February 12th total of 418,173 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 322,588 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.6 days. Approximately 1.3% of the company’s shares are sold short. Approximately 1.3% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 322,588 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.6 days.

Brady Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of BRC stock traded up $0.93 on Monday, reaching $86.05. 176,888 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 254,483. The company has a market cap of $4.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.15 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a 50-day moving average of $88.38 and a 200-day moving average of $81.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.40. Brady has a one year low of $62.70 and a one year high of $99.29.

Brady (NYSE:BRC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The industrial products company reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.09. Brady had a return on equity of 18.62% and a net margin of 13.01%.The business had revenue of $384.14 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $376.14 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.00 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Brady has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-5.150 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Brady will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Brady Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 9th will be given a dividend of $0.245 per share. This represents a $0.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Brady’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.95%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on BRC. Wall Street Zen downgraded Brady from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Brady in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy”.

Insider Transactions at Brady

In other Brady news, COO Thomas F. Debruine sold 5,538 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.00, for a total transaction of $448,578.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 10,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $824,661. This represents a 35.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 15.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Brady

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Dean Capital Management increased its stake in Brady by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Dean Capital Management now owns 33,846 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,653,000 after purchasing an additional 1,756 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its stake in shares of Brady by 13.7% in the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 8,726 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $684,000 after buying an additional 1,051 shares in the last quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury grew its holdings in shares of Brady by 31.7% during the fourth quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 28,287 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,446,000 after buying an additional 6,814 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Brady during the fourth quarter valued at about $791,000. Finally, nVerses Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Brady during the fourth quarter worth about $248,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.28% of the company’s stock.

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.