Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) Short Interest Up 85.6% in December

Brady Corporation (NYSE:BRC) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 319,233 shares, an increase of 85.6% from the November 30th total of 171,988 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 217,552 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days. Currently, 0.8% of the company’s shares are sold short. Currently, 0.8% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 217,552 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.5 days.

Brady Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of Brady stock opened at $80.00 on Friday. 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 has a 12-month low of $62.70 and a 12-month high of $84.03. The company has a market capitalization of $3.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.56 and a beta of 0.69. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $77.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $74.88.

Brady (NYSE:BRC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 17th. The industrial products company reported $1.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $405.29 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $393.65 million. Brady had a net margin of 12.74% and a return on equity of 19.06%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.12 EPS. Brady has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-5.150 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Brady will post 4.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brady Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Friday, January 9th will be given a dividend of $0.245 per share. This represents a $0.98 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, January 9th. Brady’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.96%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Russell Shaller sold 17,130 shares of Brady stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, 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 position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Brett Wilms sold 3,791 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $78.13, for a total transaction of $296,190.83. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 7,672 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $599,413.36. This trade represents a 33.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 73,278 shares of company stock valued at $5,671,221 over the last ninety days. 15.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in shares of Brady in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Brady during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Quent Capital LLC bought a new stake in Brady during the 3rd quarter worth $43,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Brady by 89.0% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 684 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in Brady by 156.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,014 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $69,000 after purchasing an additional 618 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.28% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Brady in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen cut Brady from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, December 13th. One 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, the company currently has an average rating of “Strong Buy”.

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.