Belden Inc (NYSE:BDC) Short Interest Update
by Jessica Moore · The Cerbat GemBelden Inc (NYSE:BDC – Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 1,292,284 shares, a decrease of 14.9% from the March 31st total of 1,519,042 shares. Currently, 3.4% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 341,377 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.8 days.
Trending Headlines about Belden
Here are the key news stories impacting Belden this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — revenue $696M (+11% YoY; above estimates) and adjusted EPS $1.77 vs. consensus $1.70, demonstrating organic growth and margin resilience. Belden’s (NYSE:BDC) Q1 CY2026 Sales Beat Estimates
- Positive Sentiment: Share buyback and solid profitability metrics — company repurchased ~$30M (0.3M shares) in Q1; GAAP & adjusted EPS up year-over-year and ROE remains strong, supporting shareholder returns. Belden Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
- Neutral Sentiment: Q2 guidance is roughly in line or slightly better than street — EPS $1.95–2.05 (vs. ~1.97 consensus) and revenue $735–750M (slightly above consensus), so guidance supports current valuation but isn’t a major upside surprise. Belden Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
- Neutral Sentiment: Strategic rationale for RUCKUS buy — the $1.85B deal adds wireless/enterprise networking capabilities that accelerate Belden’s move into higher-growth, software-enabled networking. Management framed it as a bolt-on to expand TAM. Belden to acquire RUCKUS Networks for $1.85bn
- Negative Sentiment: Investor questions about the RUCKUS deal — analysts and investors raised concerns on the call about purchase price, integration complexity and near-term return on capital; these concerns can create short-term selling pressure or valuation multiple compression. Belden: Investors Have Some Questions On The Ruckus Deal
- Negative Sentiment: Deal size and financing risk — $1.85B is material vs. Belden’s market cap and may increase leverage or reduce financial flexibility; some commentary flagged the financing structure and potential dilution before benefits are realized. Belden to Acquire RUCKUS Segment in $1.85B Deal
Insider Buying and Selling
In related news, CAO Doug Zink sold 1,452 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.96, for a total transaction of $194,509.92. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 4,642 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $621,842.32. This trade represents a 23.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Leah Tate sold 2,954 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owned 24,881 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,234,530. The trade was a 10.61% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 4,891 shares of company stock valued at $639,640 over the last three months. 1.05% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Belden
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of Belden by 7,022.5% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 19,017 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,184,000 after acquiring an additional 18,750 shares during the last quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of Belden by 30.0% in the first quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 2,420 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $278,000 after acquiring an additional 558 shares during the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund grew its stake in shares of Belden by 2.6% in the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 8,081 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $928,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Abel Hall LLC grew its stake in shares of Belden by 51.3% in the first quarter. Abel Hall LLC now owns 3,069 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $352,000 after acquiring an additional 1,040 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AdvisorShares Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Belden in the first quarter worth $267,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.75% of the company’s stock.
Belden Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE:BDC traded up $1.49 during trading on Friday, reaching $113.97. The stock had a trading volume of 744,237 shares, compared to its average volume of 372,707. Belden has a 52 week low of $102.49 and a 52 week high of $159.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.28 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 2.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $125.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.25.
Belden (NYSE:BDC – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The industrial products company reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.70 by $0.07. 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 $678.11 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.60 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Belden has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.950-2.050 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Belden will post 8.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Belden Announces Dividend
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 9th. Stockholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. Belden’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3.38%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Belden from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Benchmark raised their price objective on shares of Belden from $145.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Belden from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Belden currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.50.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on BDC
Belden Company Profile
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.