Brady (NYSE:BRC) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Sidoti

Sidoti upgraded shares of Brady (NYSE:BRC - Free Report) to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday, May 19th,Zacks.com reports.

Brady Price Performance

NYSE:BRC traded down $0.87 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $68.96. 166,295 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 244,979. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11. The stock has a market cap of $3.26 billion, a PE ratio of 16.94 and a beta of 0.86. Brady has a 12 month low of $62.70 and a 12 month high of $77.68. The company has a fifty day moving average of $70.01 and a 200 day moving average of $72.39.

Brady (NYSE:BRC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, May 16th. The industrial products company reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $1.22. Brady had a net margin of 14.19% and a return on equity of 19.79%. The company had revenue of $382.59 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $386.61 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.09 earnings per share. Brady's quarterly revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Brady will post 4.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Brady Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 10th will be paid a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 10th. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.39%. Brady's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.76%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brady

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in Brady by 19.1% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 893 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 143 shares during the period. Atria Investments Inc boosted its stake in shares of Brady by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Atria Investments Inc now owns 4,984 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $368,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Brady by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,454 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $255,000 after buying an additional 157 shares during the period. Andina Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Brady by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. Andina Capital Management LLC now owns 5,718 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $422,000 after buying an additional 179 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Chase Investment Counsel Corp lifted its holdings in Brady by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Chase Investment Counsel Corp now owns 4,836 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $357,000 after buying an additional 181 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.28% of the company's stock.

Brady Company Profile

Brady Corporation manufactures and supplies identification solutions (IDS) and workplace safety (WPS) products to identify and protect premises, products, and people in the United States and internationally. The company offers materials, printing systems, RFID, and bar code scanners for product identification, brand protection labeling, work in process labeling, finished product identification, and industrial track and trace applications; safety signs, floor-marking tapes, pipe markers, labeling systems, spill control products, lockout/tagout device, and software and services for safety compliance auditing, procedure writing, and training; and hand-held printers, wire markers, sleeves, and tags for wire identification.