12,192 Shares in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI Purchased by Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A.

Key Points

• Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking opened a new position in Badger Meter, buying 12,192 shares in the fourth quarter worth about $2.13 million.
• Insider buying was notable: CEO Kenneth Bockhorst and VP Richard Htwe both purchased shares in April, and insiders bought more stock than they sold over the last 90 days.
• Badger Meter recently reported Q4 earnings of $1.14 per share and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share, while analysts currently rate the stock a Hold with an average target price of $155.86.

Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new position in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 12,192 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock, valued at approximately $2,126,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BMI. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in Badger Meter in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in Badger Meter in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its stake in Badger Meter by 62.3% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Strategic Advocates LLC bought a new position in Badger Meter in the third quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in Badger Meter in the second quarter worth about $49,000. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Badger Meter

In other Badger Meter news, CEO Kenneth Bockhorst bought 2,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was acquired at an average price of $117.53 per share, with a total value of $258,566.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 51,676 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,073,480.28. This trade represents a 4.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Richard Htwe bought 1,700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $116.13 per share, with a total value of $197,421.00. Following the purchase, the vice president directly owned 7,603 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $882,936.39. This represents a 28.80% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 6,628 shares of company stock valued at $777,128 and have sold 3,989 shares valued at $596,002. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Badger Meter Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE BMI opened at $117.72 on Thursday. Badger Meter, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $112.09 and a fifty-two week high of $256.08. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $137.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $158.34. The company has a market capitalization of $3.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 0.68.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 during the quarter. On average, analysts forecast that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Badger Meter's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.12%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on BMI shares. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $173.00 to $145.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Argus downgraded shares of Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $190.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $167.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $155.86.

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.

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