Banco Santander S.A. Cuts Stock Position in Itron, Inc. $ITRI

Key Points

• Banco Santander S.A. reduced its stake in Itron by 12.7% in the fourth quarter, leaving it with 225,697 shares worth about $20.96 million. Institutional investors still own the vast majority of the company, at 96.19%.
• Itron reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, posting $1.49 EPS versus the $1.26 consensus and revenue of $586.98 million. The company also guided Q2 2026 EPS at 1.250–1.350.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed but generally positive, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.22. Recent insider sales by two senior vice presidents were made to cover tax withholding tied to equity award vesting.

Banco Santander S.A. lowered its position in Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI - Free Report) by 12.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 225,697 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 32,803 shares during the period. Banco Santander S.A. owned approximately 0.49% of Itron worth $20,958,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in shares of Itron in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Private Trust Co. NA grew its stake in shares of Itron by 112.4% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 274 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the last quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. purchased a new stake in shares of Itron during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Itron by 343.6% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 346 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Itron during the third quarter worth about $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.19% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other Itron news, SVP Donald L. Reeves III sold 319 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.37, for a total value of $26,914.03. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 29,100 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,455,167. This represents a 1.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, SVP John F. Marcolini sold 322 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.37, for a total transaction of $27,167.14. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 24,689 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,083,010.93. The trade was a 1.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders have sold 3,946 shares of company stock valued at $324,420 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.77% of the company's stock.

Itron Stock Down 0.2%

Itron stock opened at $80.56 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 2.24 and a current ratio of 2.66. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $86.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $92.55. The company has a market cap of $3.57 billion, a PE ratio of 12.85, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.33. Itron, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.77 and a fifty-two week high of $142.00.

Itron (NASDAQ:ITRI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.26 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $586.98 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $572.04 million. Itron had a return on equity of 19.54% and a net margin of 12.31%.The company's quarterly revenue was down 3.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.52 EPS. Itron has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.350 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Itron, Inc. will post 6.01 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on ITRI shares. Raymond James Financial started coverage on Itron in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. They set an "underperform" rating on the stock. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Itron in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Zacks Research upgraded Itron from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Itron from $145.00 to $130.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $128.00 price target on Itron and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $131.22.

Itron Company Profile

Itron, Inc NASDAQ: ITRI is a global technology company that develops innovative solutions to measure, manage and analyze the use of energy and water. Its comprehensive portfolio includes smart meters, data collection devices, communication networks and advanced software applications designed to optimize utility operations and foster sustainable resource management. The company's offerings enable utilities and cities to accurately monitor consumption patterns, streamline billing processes and improve grid reliability.

Itron's product lineup spans a range of hardware and software solutions, from residential and commercial smart meters to meter data management systems (MDMS), networked communication platforms and analytics tools.

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