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

Key Points

• Badger Meter has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold", based on coverage from 11 research firms. The average 12-month price target is about $155.71.
• The stock recently traded at $149.27 and was down 1.3%, with a market cap of $4.36 billion. Its latest quarterly results showed $1.14 EPS on $220.71 million in revenue, and analysts expect $4.51 EPS for the full year.
• Badger Meter also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, while insider buying and strong institutional ownership remain notable. However, the company is facing renewed attention from a pending securities class action lawsuit, which adds legal uncertainty.

Shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Hold" by the eleven research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $155.7143.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on BMI shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $140.00 price target on Badger Meter in a report on Friday, May 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Badger Meter from $190.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 17th. Maxim Group cut Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Barclays lowered their target price on Badger Meter from $110.00 to $109.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, May 21st.

Badger Meter Stock Down 1.3%

BMI opened at $149.27 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.70, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.64. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $132.60 and a 200-day moving average price of $145.46. Badger Meter has a twelve month low of $112.09 and a twelve month high of $249.56.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Badger Meter had a net margin of 14.56% and a return on equity of 18.76%. The company had revenue of $220.71 million for the quarter. As a group, analysts expect that Badger Meter will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. Badger Meter's payout ratio is currently 36.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Badger Meter

In related news, EVP Robert Wrocklage acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $122.35 per share, with a total value of $122,350.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,321 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,853,324.35. This represents a 4.48% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Edward F. Callahan purchased 858 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $116.30 per share, for a total transaction of $99,785.40. Following the acquisition, the vice president directly owned 1,186 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $137,931.80. This represents a 261.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have purchased a total of 6,628 shares of company stock valued at $777,128 in the last ninety days. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Badger Meter

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Badger Meter by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,979,893 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $694,133,000 after purchasing an additional 19,585 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Badger Meter by 1.4% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,462,807 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $358,315,000 after buying an additional 20,122 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 20.9% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 970,219 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $173,262,000 after buying an additional 168,053 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 876,854 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $152,951,000 after buying an additional 4,035 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its position in shares of Badger Meter by 39.2% during the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 754,402 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $131,592,000 after acquiring an additional 212,448 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.01% of the company's stock.

Badger Meter News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Badger Meter this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms reminded investors about a pending securities class action against Badger Meter, with a lead plaintiff deadline of August 3, 2026, increasing attention on litigation risk and potential downside for the stock. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The class action alleges investor harm during the April 18, 2024 to April 16, 2026 period, suggesting concerns about possible securities fraud claims and adding uncertainty for shareholders. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Additional notices from other firms, including Rosen, Pomerantz, Berger Montague, and others, reinforced the same litigation overhang and kept Badger Meter in the news for legal rather than business reasons. Article Title

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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