Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts rate Badger Meter a “Hold.” The stock has a consensus hold rating from 12 covering analysts, with an average 12-month price target of about $155.86. Views are mixed, with 5 buys, 6 holds, and 1 sell.
• The stock has pulled back sharply from its high. BMI recently traded at $124.81, well below its 52-week high of $256.08, and sits under both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Its market cap is about $3.64 billion.
• Badger Meter continues to show solid financials and shareholder returns. The company reported $1.14 in quarterly EPS on $220.71 million in revenue, and it declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, or $1.60 annually, for a 1.3% yield.

Shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the twelve ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $155.8571.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Argus lowered Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays set a $110.00 price target on Badger Meter and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Badger Meter from $173.00 to $145.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered Badger Meter from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Badger Meter from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Friday, April 3rd.

Badger Meter Price Performance

NYSE:BMI opened at $124.81 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 0.68. Badger Meter has a one year low of $112.09 and a one year high of $256.08. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $134.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $155.83.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 14.56%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Badger Meter will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. Badger Meter's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.12%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Badger Meter news, EVP Robert Wrocklage purchased 1,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $122.35 per share, for a total transaction of $122,350.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 23,321 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,853,324.35. This represents a 4.48% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Richard Htwe purchased 1,700 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $116.13 per share, with a total value of $197,421.00. Following the purchase, the vice president directly owned 7,603 shares in the company, valued at $882,936.39. This represents a 28.80% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have bought 6,628 shares of company stock worth $777,128 and have sold 3,841 shares worth $573,746. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Badger Meter

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BMI. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in shares of Badger Meter during the fourth quarter valued at about $227,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Badger Meter by 328.0% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,766 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $717,000 after purchasing an additional 2,886 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in shares of Badger Meter by 10.6% during the second quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 2,334 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $572,000 after purchasing an additional 223 shares in the last quarter. M&T Bank Corp purchased a new position in shares of Badger Meter during the second quarter valued at about $200,000. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System grew its position in shares of Badger Meter by 11.2% during the second quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 50,225 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $12,303,000 after purchasing an additional 5,041 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.01% of the company's stock.

About Badger Meter

Badger Meter, founded in 1905 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a global leader in flow measurement and control solutions. The company's core business centers on the design, manufacture and sale of water meters, control valves and related accessories for municipal and industrial water utilities. Over its more than a century of operation, Badger Meter has built a reputation for precision engineering, durability and compliance with international regulatory standards.

The company's product portfolio includes mechanical and ultrasonic water meters, electromagnetic flow meters for industrial applications, and a range of control valves that help utilities manage pressure and flow in distribution networks.

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