Critical Comparison: Brady (NYSE:BRC) & VerifyMe (NASDAQ:VRMEW)

Brady (NYSE:BRC) and VerifyMe (NASDAQ:VRMEW) are both industrial products companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Brady and VerifyMe’s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Brady	$1.33 billion	2.14	$174.86 million	$3.83	15.40
VerifyMe	$25.31 million	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Brady has higher revenue and earnings than VerifyMe.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

76.3% of Brady shares are held by institutional investors. 15.6% of Brady shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Brady and VerifyMe’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Brady	14.08%	19.24%	13.91%
VerifyMe	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Brady and VerifyMe, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Brady	0	0	1	0	3.00
VerifyMe	0	0	0	0	N/A

Brady currently has a consensus price target of $65.00, indicating a potential upside of 10.18%. Given Brady’s higher possible upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Brady is more favorable than VerifyMe.

Summary

Brady beats VerifyMe on 8 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Brady

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. It also provides name tags, badges, lanyards, rigid card printing systems, and access control software for people identification; and wristbands, labels, printing systems, and other products for tracking and improving the safety of patients. In addition, the company offers workplace safety, identification, and compliance products, such as safety and compliance signs, tags, labels, and markings; informational signage and markings; asset tracking labels; facility safety and personal protection equipment; first-aid products; and other compliance products for process, government, education, construction, and utilities industries. Further, it provides stock and custom identification products; and sells related resale products. The company serves industrial and electronic manufacturing, healthcare, chemical, oil, gas, automotive, aerospace, governments, mass transit, electrical contractors, education, leisure and entertainment, telecommunications, and other industries through distributors, direct sales force, and digital channels. Brady Corporation was incorporated in 1914 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

About VerifyMe

VerifyMe, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides traceability and customer support services through software and process technology. The company operates through two segments, Precision Logistics and Authentication. The Precision Logistics segment offers predictive analytics for optimizing delivery of time and temperature sensitive perishable products. This segment provides PeriTrack customer dashboard, an integrated web portal tool that gives its customers an in-depth look at their shipping activities based on real-time data. It also offers service center, pre-transit, post-delivery, and weather/traffic services. The Authentication segment provides technology solutions to connect brands with consumers through its products, as well as brand protection and supply chain functions, such as counterfeit prevention. This segment offers VerifyMe Engage, which allows the brand owners to gather business intelligence and engage with customers; VerifyMe Authenticate for authentication of labels, packaging, and products; and VerifyMe Track & Trace for unit level traceability and supply chain control. The company has a strategic partnership with INX International Ink Co. The company was formerly known as LaserLock Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to VerifyMe, Inc. in July 2015. VerifyMe, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida.