Belden (NYSE:BDC) Announces Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.15 EPS

Belden (NYSE:BDC) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The industrial products company reported $2.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.93 by $0.15, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $720.12 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $696.97 million. Belden had a net margin of 8.75% and a return on equity of 24.43%. Belden’s revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.92 EPS. Belden updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.650-1.750 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Belden’s conference call:

• Record results: Belden reported a record Q4 revenue of $720M and adjusted EPS of $2.08, and a record full-year revenue of ~$2.7B with adjusted EPS of $7.54, driven by strong order momentum and execution.
• Solutions acceleration & org change: Solutions wins crossed 15% of revenue in 2025 and management launched a unified functional operating model (effective Jan 1, 2026) to scale IT/OT converged solutions and pursue a >20% solutions mix by 2028.
• Segment momentum — Automation led growth while broadband showed mixed trends: Automation Solutions grew ~14% (organic 11%) to nearly $1.5B with strong order growth, Smart Infrastructure reached ~$1.2B with broadband moderation but rising fiber content and expected recovery (BEAD tailwinds).
• Margins & pass‑throughs: Reported gross margin was 38.5% and EBITDA margin 16.9%, but management said tariffs/copper pass‑throughs diluted reported margins while excluding those effects gross margins improved ~160bps and EBITDA ~80bps; Q1 2026 guidance is $675–690M revenue and $1.65–1.75 adjusted EPS.
• Balance sheet & capital allocation: Trailing‑12‑month free cash flow was $219M, the company repurchased $195M of stock (1.7M shares) with $145M remaining authorization, and extended debt maturities via EUR450M notes (avg. rate ~3.9%), leaving net leverage ~1.9x.

Belden Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of BDC stock traded down $1.62 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $149.29. The company had a trading volume of 406,048 shares, compared to its average volume of 306,592. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.93 and a quick ratio of 1.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.87 billion, a PE ratio of 25.26 and a beta of 1.20. The company’s fifty day moving average is $122.12 and its 200 day moving average is $121.31. Belden has a fifty-two week low of $83.18 and a fifty-two week high of $159.99.

Belden Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 11th were issued a $0.05 dividend. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 11th. Belden’s dividend payout ratio is currently 3.55%.

Key Headlines Impacting Belden

Here are the key news stories impacting Belden this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported stronger-than-expected Q4: record revenue of $720M (up 8% y/y), adjusted EPS $2.08 beating estimates, improved margins and $45M of buybacks — evidence of healthy end markets and margin leverage. Belden Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management set Q1 2026 EPS guidance of $1.65–$1.75 and raised revenue outlook above consensus, signaling continued growth visibility for the year. Earnings / Guidance Release
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support increased — Benchmark raised its price target to $175 and reiterated a buy rating, implying meaningful upside relative to recent levels. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic pivot toward higher‑margin integrated solutions, AI data-center connectivity and broadband expansion was highlighted by management — a structural shift that can lift long‑term margins and addressable market. BDC Q4 Deep Dive: Solutions Strategy Delivers Growth and Organizational Shift
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and slide deck are available for deeper read — useful for investors wanting color on backlog, segment trends (Automation vs. Smart Infrastructure) and buyback cadence. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Press coverage and earnings snapshots (AP, Yahoo, MSN) reiterate beats and management commentary — no new negative surprises surfaced in media summaries. Belden Inc (BDC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Despite fundamentals and the analyst upgrade, the stock is trading lower today on profit‑taking after a strong run; volume is above average, suggesting active repositioning by investors. MarketBeat Trading Snapshot

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDC has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen raised Belden from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Belden in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Benchmark lifted their price target on Belden from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Belden from $149.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $148.33.

Insider Transactions at Belden

In related news, SVP Leah Tate sold 2,954 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total transaction of $384,020.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 24,881 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,234,530. This represents a 10.61% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Hiran Bhadra sold 1,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total value of $192,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 26,119 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,134,280. This trade represents a 5.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 16,045 shares of company stock worth $2,010,690 in the last ninety days. 1.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. grew its position in shares of Belden by 4.6% during the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 2,290 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $275,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in Belden in the first quarter worth approximately $264,000. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new position in Belden in the fourth quarter worth approximately $240,000. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in Belden during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $230,000. Finally, Polar Asset Management Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Belden in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $222,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.75% of the company’s stock.

About Belden

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.