Belden (NYSE:BDC) Reaches New 12-Month High Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Belden Inc (NYSE:BDC)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $145.55 and last traded at $142.7740, with a volume of 452912 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $141.91.

The industrial products company reported $2.08 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.93 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $720.12 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $696.97 million. Belden had a net margin of 8.57% and a return on equity of 23.95%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.92 EPS. Belden has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS.

Belden Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 11th were given a dividend of $0.05 per share. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 11th. Belden’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 3.55%.

Key Stories Impacting Belden

Here are the key news stories impacting Belden this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and record results — Belden reported adjusted EPS $2.08 vs. $1.93 expected and revenue $720.1M vs. $697.0M expected; revenue +8.1% y/y and record quarterly revenues, supporting stronger profitability metrics. Belden Inc. (BDC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Raised / solid Q1 guidance — Management set Q1 FY2026 EPS guidance of $1.65–$1.75 (vs. consensus ~$1.69) and revenue guidance $675–$690M (above the ~$659.9M consensus), signaling continued top-line momentum. Press Release / Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Capital return and buyback activity — Company repurchased ~0.4M shares for ~$45M in the quarter, supporting EPS and signaling confidence from management. Belden Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Conference call / transcript available — Management commentary and the full earnings call transcript provide detail on segment performance and drivers (useful for modeling/QA but informational rather than new directional news). Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Press coverage / previews — Earlier “earnings to watch” coverage signaled attention ahead of results; this is informational context rather than a driver. Earnings to watch: Belden (BDC) reports Q4
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary on “BDCs to dump” — A Seeking Alpha piece about dividend risk in BDC-structured companies may cause broader sector sensitivity; note this refers to BDC-structured firms (business development companies), not Belden Inc., which trades under the ticker BDC. Monitor headline risk but it is not specific to Belden. 2 BDCs To Dump Before They Cut Their Dividend

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Belden from $149.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Belden from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Belden in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Belden has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $138.33.

Insider Transactions at Belden

In related news, 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 value of $384,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 24,881 shares in the company, valued at $3,234,530. This trade represents a 10.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Hiran Bhadra sold 1,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $192,000.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 26,119 shares in the company, valued at $3,134,280. The trade was a 5.77% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 16,045 shares of company stock worth $2,010,690 in the last ninety days. 1.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Belden

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Belden by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 78,865 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $7,906,000 after purchasing an additional 6,894 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in Belden in the first quarter worth $264,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Belden by 8.3% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 131,807 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $13,214,000 after acquiring an additional 10,077 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Belden by 18.3% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 58,028 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $5,817,000 after acquiring an additional 8,961 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Belden by 273.7% during the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 3,984 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $399,000 after acquiring an additional 2,918 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.75% of the company’s stock.

Belden Trading Up 5.8%

The stock has a market cap of $5.92 billion, a PE ratio of 26.74 and a beta of 1.20. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $121.57 and a 200-day moving average price of $121.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.37 and a current ratio of 1.99.

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.