Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Grows Stock Position in Itron, Inc. $ITRI

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Itron by 1.5% to 1,076,274 shares (about 2.35% of the company), valued at roughly $134.1 million at the end of the quarter.
• Itron beat the latest quarterly estimates with $2.46 EPS vs. $2.19 and revenue of $571.7 million vs. $561.3 million, provided Q1 guidance of 1.20–1.30 EPS and FY2026 guidance of 5.75–6.25 EPS, and holds a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $137.10.
• Near-term risks include Zacks trimming several near‑term estimates and a surge in short interest of about 42.7% to ~4.88M shares (~11% of the float), while insiders have sold ~51,180 shares in the past 90 days, increasing potential downside and volatility.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI - Free Report) by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,076,274 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after purchasing an additional 16,261 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned about 2.35% of Itron worth $134,058,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Itron during the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Optiver Holding B.V. purchased a new position in shares of Itron during the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new stake in shares of Itron during the 3rd quarter valued at $42,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Itron in the 3rd quarter worth $44,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of Itron by 343.6% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 346 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. 96.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Itron

Here are the key news stories impacting Itron this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its Q2 2027 EPS forecast to $1.71 from $1.66, suggesting improved expected momentum in 2027. MarketBeat: ITRI
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks materially increased its Q4 2026 estimate to $1.73 from $1.49, indicating stronger anticipated year‑end profitability. MarketBeat: ITRI
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks published a FY2028 EPS projection of $8.86, signaling upside expectations over the longer term. MarketBeat: ITRI
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks kept a "Hold" rating on ITRI and left the consensus full‑year view near prior levels (the broader consensus remains ~ $5.33 FY). MarketBeat: ITRI
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks trimmed several near‑term estimates: Q1 2026 cut to $1.26 (from $1.41), Q2 2026 to $1.44 (from $1.51), Q3 2026 to $1.55 (from $1.60) and modestly reduced FY2026/FY2027 numbers — near‑term earnings downgrades can weigh on the share price. MarketBeat: ITRI
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest surged ~42.7% in February to ~4.88M shares (about 11% of the float) with a ~2.5 days‑to‑cover — this elevated shorting increases downside pressure and potential volatility.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Itron from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Guggenheim set a $155.00 price target on Itron in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Robert W. Baird set a $128.00 price objective on Itron and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Johnson Rice upgraded Itron from an "accumulate" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC assumed coverage on shares of Itron in a report on Friday, March 6th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $124.00 target price for the company. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $137.10.

Itron Stock Performance

Shares of ITRI opened at $91.96 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $97.46 and a 200-day moving average of $107.18. The company has a market cap of $4.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a quick ratio of 1.56 and a current ratio of 1.80. Itron, Inc. has a 1 year low of $88.57 and a 1 year high of $142.00.

Itron (NASDAQ:ITRI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $2.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.19 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $571.66 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $561.31 million. Itron had a return on equity of 20.04% and a net margin of 12.72%.The business's revenue for the quarter was down 6.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.35 EPS. Itron has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 1.200-1.300 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 5.750-6.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Itron, Inc. will post 5.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO David Marshall Wright sold 264 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.17, for a total transaction of $26,444.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 9,124 shares of the company's stock, valued at $913,951.08. This represents a 2.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Christopher E. Ware sold 763 shares of Itron stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.17, for a total transaction of $76,429.71. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 31,043 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,109,577.31. This trade represents a 2.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 51,180 shares of company stock worth $5,085,475. 1.45% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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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