Short Interest in Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) Increases By 65.8%

Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of May. As of May 15th, there was short interest totaling 896,851 shares, an increase of 65.8% from the April 30th total of 540,834 shares. Currently, 2.3% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 323,541 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.8 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brady

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in BRC. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Brady during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its position in Brady by 72.1% during the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 389 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC bought a new stake in Brady during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC raised its holdings in Brady by 42.4% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 450 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG bought a new position in shares of Brady in the first quarter worth approximately $40,000. 76.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on BRC shares. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Brady from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Brady from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy”.

Brady Stock Up 0.5%

BRC traded up $0.43 on Thursday, hitting $88.58. The company had a trading volume of 72,353 shares, compared to its average volume of 256,041. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $82.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $83.66. 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 $4.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.18 and a beta of 0.62. Brady has a 52-week low of $65.76 and a 52-week high of $99.29.

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 the consensus estimate of $1.35 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $435.24 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $406.07 million. Brady had a return on equity of 19.01% and a net margin of 12.93%.The business’s revenue was up 13.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.22 EPS. Brady has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.200-5.300 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Brady will post 5.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Brady Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be given a dividend of $0.245 per share. This represents a $0.98 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. Brady’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.32%.

Brady Company 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.