Belden (BDC) Competitors

Belden (NYSE:BDC) and Acuity (NYSE:AYI) are both mid-cap electrical components & equipment companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, media sentiment, institutional ownership and profitability.

Is BDC or AYI a better dividend stock?

Belden pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.2%. Acuity pays an annual dividend of $0.68 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.2%. Belden pays out 3.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Acuity pays out 5.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Acuity has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Acuity is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Which has more volatility and risk, BDC or AYI?

Belden has a beta of 1.24, indicating that its share price is 24% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Acuity has a beta of 1.62, indicating that its share price is 62% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Is BDC or AYI more profitable?

Acuity has a net margin of 9.63% compared to Belden's net margin of 8.35%. Belden's return on equity of 22.28% beat Acuity's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Belden	8.35%	22.28%	8.23%
Acuity	9.63%	20.35%	11.98%

Does the media refer more to BDC or AYI?

In the previous week, Acuity had 19 more articles in the media than Belden. MarketBeat recorded 30 mentions for Acuity and 11 mentions for Belden. Belden's average media sentiment score of 1.05 beat Acuity's score of 0.79 indicating that Belden is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Belden	6 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Acuity	13 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	9 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has better earnings and valuation, BDC or AYI?

Acuity has higher revenue and earnings than Belden. Acuity is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Belden, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Belden	$2.46B	1.95	$198.43M	$5.18	23.51
Acuity	$3.84B	2.44	$422.60M	$13.19	23.14

Do analysts rate BDC or AYI?

Belden presently has a consensus price target of $128.20, suggesting a potential upside of 5.28%. Acuity has a consensus price target of $340.60, suggesting a potential upside of 11.61%. Given Acuity's higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Acuity is more favorable than Belden.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Belden	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00
Acuity	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.50

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of BDC or AYI?

98.8% of Belden shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 98.2% of Acuity shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.5% of Belden shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.8% of Acuity shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Acuity beats Belden on 13 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.