Brady (NYSE:BRC) Hits New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) shares reached a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $99.29 and last traded at $96.9140, with a volume of 116007 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $95.26.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Brady in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen lowered Brady from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has assigned a Buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Brady has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy”.

Brady Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $4.56 billion, a PE ratio of 23.64 and a beta of 0.63. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $84.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $79.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Brady (NYSE:BRC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The industrial products company reported $1.09 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.09. The firm had revenue of $384.14 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $376.14 million. Brady had a return on equity of 19.06% and a net margin of 12.74%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.00 earnings per share. Brady has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.950-5.150 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Brady Corporation will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Brady Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Friday, January 9th were given a dividend of $0.245 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, January 9th. This represents a $0.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Brady’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.96%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Brady news, General Counsel Andrew Gorman sold 12,528 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.01, for a total value of $1,002,365.28. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 14,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,132,381.53. This represents a 46.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Russell Shaller sold 17,130 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.25, for a total value of $1,391,812.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 141,421 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,490,456.25. This trade represents a 10.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 38,987 shares of company stock valued at $3,138,947 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 15.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brady

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,051 shares during the last quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury boosted its stake in Brady by 31.7% in the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 28,287 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,446,000 after purchasing an additional 6,814 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in Brady during the 4th quarter valued at about $791,000. nVerses Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brady during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $248,000. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Brady in the 4th quarter worth $283,000. 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.