Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC Decreases Holdings in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Key Points

• Conestoga Capital Advisors reduced its Badger Meter stake by 5.9% in the first quarter, selling 7,735 shares and leaving it with 122,658 shares worth about $18.7 million.
• Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other institutional investors controlling 89.01% of Badger Meter’s stock.
• Sentiment is mixed: insiders have been buying shares, but the company is also facing multiple securities class action-related notices and litigation headlines that could pressure investor confidence.

Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Free Report) by 5.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 122,658 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 7,735 shares during the period. Conestoga Capital Advisors LLC owned about 0.42% of Badger Meter worth $18,687,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Badger Meter in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in Badger Meter by 76.5% during 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 buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Badger Meter during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in Badger Meter by 62.3% during 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 buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in Badger Meter during the 3rd quarter valued at $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.01% of the company's stock.

More Badger Meter News

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Badger Meter scheduled its second-quarter 2026 earnings call, which keeps investors focused on upcoming results and management commentary. Badger Meter Schedules Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Call
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms reminded investors of the August 3, 2026 deadline to seek lead-plaintiff status in a federal securities class action against Badger Meter, reinforcing concern about ongoing litigation risk. REMINDER: Badger Meter, Inc. Investors With Significant Losses Must Act By August 3, 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter said shareholders who bought BMI stock during the class period should contact the firm about a securities fraud lawsuit, adding to the stream of legal headlines. Deadline Alert: Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI) Shareholders Who Lost Money Urged To Contact Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP About Securities Fraud Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Levi & Korsinsky alleged a “pull-forward” scheme and said Badger Meter’s CEO and CFO could face personal liability, which is likely weighing on sentiment. BMI DEADLINE: Levi & Korsinsky Reminds Badger Meter, Inc. Investors of Upcoming Securities Class Action Deadline

Insider Buying and Selling at Badger Meter

In other Badger Meter news, VP Richard Htwe purchased 1,700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $116.13 per share, for a total transaction of $197,421.00. Following the purchase, the vice president directly owned 7,603 shares in the company, valued at $882,936.39. The trade was a 28.80% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Edward F. Callahan purchased 858 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $116.30 per share, with a total value of $99,785.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 1,186 shares in the company, valued at $137,931.80. This trade represents a 261.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have bought 6,628 shares of company stock valued at $777,128. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BMI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Barclays set a $110.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Badger Meter from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, June 13th. Maxim Group lowered Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $155.86.

Badger Meter Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BMI opened at $146.10 on Thursday. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 1 year low of $112.09 and a 1 year high of $249.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 0.64. The company's 50-day moving average is $126.70 and its 200 day moving average is $148.30.

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 (EPS) 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%. Research analysts anticipate that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

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

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Free Report).

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.