Brady (NYSE:BRC) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume Following Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) saw strong trading volume on Wednesday after Sidoti upgraded the stock from a neutral rating to a buy rating. Sidoti now has a $103.00 price target on the stock. 426,459 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 55% from the previous session’s volume of 275,217 shares.The stock last traded at $77.8620 and had previously closed at $76.44.

BRC has been the topic of several other reports. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Brady from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen raised Brady from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Brady currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $103.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brady

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Brady during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in Brady by 72.1% during the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 389 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in Brady during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in Brady by 42.4% during the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the period. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in Brady during the first quarter worth approximately $40,000. 76.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Brady Stock Up 1.5%

The stock has a market cap of $3.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.67 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $82.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $83.87.

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

Brady Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a $0.245 dividend. This represents a $0.98 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Brady’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.32%.

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.