Brady (NYSE:BRC) Upgraded to Strong-Buy by StockNews.com

Brady (NYSE:BRC) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday.

Brady Stock Up 0.8 %

BRC stock opened at $76.04 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $3.61 billion, a PE ratio of 19.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.36 and a beta of 0.76. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $72.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $65.80. Brady has a fifty-two week low of $51.35 and a fifty-two week high of $76.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09.

Brady (NYSE:BRC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, September 6th. The industrial products company reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.08. The company had revenue of $343.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $351.74 million. Brady had a net margin of 14.70% and a return on equity of 19.84%. Brady’s revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.04 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Brady will post 4.55 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Russell Shaller sold 12,547 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.08, for a total value of $916,934.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 102,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,520,297.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, General Counsel Andrew Gorman sold 8,736 shares of Brady stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.10, for a total transaction of $647,337.60. Following the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 10,140 shares in the company, valued at approximately $751,374. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Russell Shaller sold 12,547 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.08, for a total value of $916,934.76. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 102,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,520,297.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 15.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brady

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BRC. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new stake in shares of Brady during the 1st quarter worth $35,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Brady by 65.3% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 663 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 262 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Brady by 337.1% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 918 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 708 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of Brady by 36.1% during the second quarter. Quarry LP now owns 962 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Brady during the 1st quarter worth about $66,000. 76.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.