Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI Stock Position Raised by Hsbc Holdings PLC

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings PLC increased its stake in Badger Meter by 41.1% in the fourth quarter, ending with 24,934 shares valued at about $4.4 million.
• Badger Meter reported quarterly earnings of $1.14 per share on revenue of $220.71 million, while analysts expect full-year EPS of $4.51.
• The company recently paid a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share and currently offers an annualized yield of about 1.1%; insiders also bought shares in recent months.

Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its stake in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Free Report) by 41.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 24,934 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,259 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned approximately 0.09% of Badger Meter worth $4,399,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 76.5% during the fourth 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 buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Badger Meter during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in Badger Meter during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted 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 worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Badger Meter Stock Performance

BMI opened at $141.04 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $4.12 billion, a PE ratio of 31.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.68. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $125.67 and a 200-day moving average of $149.22. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 52-week low of $112.09 and a 52-week high of $249.56.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share 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, research analysts predict that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on BMI. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Stifel Nicolaus set a $140.00 target price on Badger Meter in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings lowered Badger Meter from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Zacks Research downgraded Badger Meter from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Friday, June 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered 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. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Badger Meter has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $155.86.

Insider Transactions at Badger Meter

In other news, EVP Robert Wrocklage acquired 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $122.35 per share, for a total transaction of $122,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,321 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,853,324.35. This trade represents a 4.48% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Richard Htwe acquired 1,700 shares of Badger Meter stock in a transaction dated 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 completion of the acquisition, the vice president directly owned 7,603 shares in the company, valued at $882,936.39. This trade represents a 28.80% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 6,628 shares of company stock worth $777,128. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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