Lazard Asset Management LLC Sells 45,869 Shares of Brady Corporation $BRC

Lazard Asset Management LLC decreased its position in Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) by 85.2% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 7,937 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 45,869 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Brady were worth $645,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in Brady by 267.8% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,188,189 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $93,118,000 after purchasing an additional 865,131 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of Brady by 502,257.8% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 452,122 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $35,433,000 after buying an additional 452,032 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Brady by 22.2% during the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,620,931 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $127,032,000 after buying an additional 294,818 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in Brady by 1,256.9% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 185,182 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $13,081,000 after acquiring an additional 171,535 shares during the period. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd grew its holdings in Brady by 37.2% during the 2nd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 322,873 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $21,946,000 after acquiring an additional 87,606 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 76.28% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Vineet A. Nargolwala purchased 13,011 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $76.86 per share, with a total value of $1,000,025.46. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 52,709 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,051,213.74. This trade represents a 32.77% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 15.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Brady Price Performance

BRC opened at $98.28 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $89.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $87.00. Brady Corporation has a 1 year low of $69.51 and a 1 year high of $99.29. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $4.63 billion, a PE ratio of 22.39 and a beta of 0.61.

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

Brady Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th were given a dividend of $0.245 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 10th. This represents a $0.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. Brady’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.32%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on BRC. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Brady from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 23rd. Sidoti upgraded shares of Brady from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $103.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Brady from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Brady currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $103.00.

Brady 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.