Belden (NYSE:BDC) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.07 EPS

Belden (NYSE:BDC - Get Free Report) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The industrial products company reported $1.77 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.70 by $0.07, Zacks reports. Belden had a net margin of 8.49% and a return on equity of 24.47%. The company had revenue of $696.38 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $677.03 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.60 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Belden updated its Q2 2026 guidance to 1.950-2.050 EPS.

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

• Belden reported a strong Q1 with revenue of $696 million (+11% YoY), adjusted EPS of $1.77 (+11%), adjusted EBITDA of $118 million (+14%) and 7% organic revenue growth across markets.
• Belden agreed to acquire RUCKUS Networks for approximately $1.85 billion in cash, adding Wi‑Fi 7, enterprise switching, ~48,000 customers and a high‑margin (~60% gross margin; $687M revenue) asset that management says will be immediately accretive to margins and EPS.
• The acquisition is financed with fully committed debt from JP Morgan (transaction ~13x projected 2026 EBITDA), which materially increases near‑term leverage and leads management to temporarily pause share repurchases and strategic M&A until delevering.
• Standalone Q2 guidance (excluding RUCKUS) calls for $735–$750 million revenue and $1.95–$2.05 adjusted EPS, reflecting continued healthy demand but limited near‑term visibility and seasonality.
• Management positions the deal as a strategic accelerator of IT/OT convergence and cross‑sell opportunities into hospitality, education, healthcare and industrial verticals, though closing is expected in H2 2026 and remains subject to approvals and integration execution risk.

Belden Stock Down 2.2%

BDC stock opened at $111.63 on Tuesday. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $125.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $122.40. The company has a current ratio of 2.09, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. Belden has a 1-year low of $102.49 and a 1-year high of $159.99. The stock has a market cap of $4.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.79 and a beta of 1.18.

Belden Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 12th were given a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. Belden's payout ratio is currently 3.37%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BDC has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised Belden from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Benchmark raised their price objective on Belden from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Belden from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $162.50.

Insider Buying and Selling at Belden

In other news, CAO Doug Zink sold 1,452 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.96, for a total transaction of $194,509.92. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 4,642 shares of the company's stock, valued at $621,842.32. This trade represents a 23.83% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Leah Tate sold 2,954 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were 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. The trade was a 10.61% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 4,891 shares of company stock valued at $639,640. Insiders own 1.05% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Belden

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of BDC. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in Belden by 25.9% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,225,244 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $375,903,000 after purchasing an additional 663,241 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Belden by 15.0% in the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 1,685,750 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $196,474,000 after buying an additional 219,695 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in Belden by 712.6% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 145,029 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $17,443,000 after buying an additional 127,182 shares during the last quarter. Daventry Group LP bought a new stake in shares of Belden in the fourth quarter valued at $11,026,000. Finally, UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of Belden by 64.9% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 185,662 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $22,330,000 after buying an additional 73,061 shares during the period. 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.