Belden Inc (NYSE:BDC) Short Interest Up 59.3% in March

Belden Inc (NYSE:BDC) saw a significant increase in short interest in March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,502,671 shares, an increase of 59.3% from the February 26th total of 943,192 shares. Currently, 3.9% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 422,923 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.6 days.

Insider Activity at Belden

In related news, CAO Doug Zink sold 1,452 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.96, for a total transaction of $194,509.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $621,842.32. This trade represents a 23.83% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Leah Tate sold 2,954 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $384,020.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 24,881 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,234,530. This represents a 10.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,891 shares of company stock valued at $639,640. Company insiders own 1.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Belden

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Belden by 12,950.0% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 261 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 259 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Belden by 134.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 288 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Belden by 234.3% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 331 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 232 shares during the last quarter. Fairscale Capital LLC acquired a new position in Belden in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $51,000. Finally, Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new position in shares of Belden during the second quarter valued at $52,000. Institutional investors own 98.75% of the company’s stock.

Belden Trading Down 1.0%

Belden stock traded down $1.12 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $112.86. The stock had a trading volume of 226,504 shares, compared to its average volume of 381,904. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $128.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.93, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.37 billion, a PE ratio of 19.10 and a beta of 1.18. Belden has a 12 month low of $83.18 and a 12 month high of $159.99.

Belden (NYSE:BDC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The industrial products company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.93 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $720.12 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $696.97 million. Belden had a return on equity of 24.43% and a net margin of 8.75%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.92 EPS. Belden has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Belden will post 7.07 EPS for the current year.

Belden Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Belden’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 3.38%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Belden from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Benchmark lifted their price target on Belden from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Belden from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Belden from $149.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $148.33.

Belden Company Profile

Belden, formerly Belden Inc (NYSE:BDC), was a global provider of signal transmission solutions for demanding applications. The company produced a wide range of copper and fiber optic cables, connectors, patch panels, cable assemblies, and surge protection devices. Its portfolio extended into networking and security hardware, including managed switches, industrial routers, and software tools for remote monitoring and network management.

Founded in 1902 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Belden built its reputation on delivering high‐performance, reliable products for harsh environments.