Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" from Analysts

Key Points

• Twelve analysts give Badger Meter a consensus recommendation of Hold (1 sell, 6 hold, 5 buy) with an average 1‑year price target of $155.86.
• Shares opened at $121.92, trading well below their 52‑week high of $256.08 and under the 50‑ and 200‑day moving averages; the company has a market cap of $3.56 billion and a P/E of 27.5.
• Badger Meter declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 (annualized $1.60, ~1.3% yield), and insiders — including the VP and EVP — have recently bought shares, contributing to net insider purchases over the past 90 days.

Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Hold" by the twelve brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $155.8571.

BMI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Argus cut shares of Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $167.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Barclays set a $110.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Badger Meter from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Maxim Group cut shares of Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd.

Badger Meter Stock Down 0.0%

NYSE:BMI opened at $121.92 on Monday. Badger Meter has a fifty-two week low of $112.09 and a fifty-two week high of $256.08. The stock has a market cap of $3.56 billion, a PE ratio of 27.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.68. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $145.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $163.76.

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

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Investors 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 of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. Badger Meter's dividend payout ratio is presently 36.12%.

Insider Transactions at Badger Meter

In other Badger Meter news, VP Edward F. Callahan acquired 858 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $116.30 per share, with a total value of $99,785.40. Following the purchase, the vice president owned 1,186 shares in the company, valued at approximately $137,931.80. The trade was a 261.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Robert Wrocklage acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $122.35 per share, for a total transaction of $122,350.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president owned 23,321 shares in the company, valued at $2,853,324.35. The trade was a 4.48% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders acquired 11,578 shares of company stock worth $1,531,492 and sold 3,989 shares worth $596,002. Insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Badger Meter

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BMI. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Badger Meter in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in Badger Meter by 76.5% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Badger Meter in the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in Badger Meter in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its stake in Badger Meter by 62.3% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Badger Meter Company Profile

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.