Erste Asset Management GmbH Purchases 14,621 Shares of Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Key Points

• Erste Asset Management GmbH increased its stake in Badger Meter by 69.6% in the fourth quarter, buying 14,621 additional shares and bringing its total holdings to 35,623 shares worth about $6.34 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with firms like Vanguard, State Street, Invesco, Geode, and Pictet also adding shares; overall, 89.01% of Badger Meter’s stock is held by institutional investors.
• Analysts currently have a mixed view on the stock, with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $155.86, while the company recently reported quarterly EPS of $1.14 and paid a $0.40 dividend.

Erste Asset Management GmbH raised its position in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Free Report) by 69.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 35,623 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after acquiring an additional 14,621 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH owned approximately 0.12% of Badger Meter worth $6,340,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Badger Meter by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,979,893 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $694,133,000 after acquiring an additional 19,585 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in Badger Meter by 1.4% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,462,807 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $358,315,000 after acquiring an additional 20,122 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in Badger Meter by 20.9% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 970,219 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $173,262,000 after acquiring an additional 168,053 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Badger Meter by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 876,854 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $152,951,000 after acquiring an additional 4,035 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its position in Badger Meter by 39.2% during the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 754,402 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $131,592,000 after acquiring an additional 212,448 shares in the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BMI has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings cut Badger Meter from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Badger Meter from $190.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Maxim Group cut Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Wall Street Zen raised Badger Meter from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, May 10th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Badger Meter from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $155.86.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Badger Meter news, CEO Kenneth Bockhorst acquired 2,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $117.53 per share, with a total value of $258,566.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 51,676 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,073,480.28. The trade was a 4.45% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Richard Htwe acquired 1,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $116.13 per share, for a total transaction of $197,421.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 7,603 shares in the company, valued at $882,936.39. This represents a 28.80% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders purchased a total of 6,628 shares of company stock worth $777,128 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Badger Meter Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of BMI opened at $130.39 on Tuesday. The business's 50 day moving average price is $131.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $153.21. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 52 week low of $112.09 and a 52 week high of $251.54. The stock has a market cap of $3.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.68.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 14.56%.The firm had revenue of $220.71 million for the quarter. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 5th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Badger Meter's dividend payout ratio is 36.12%.

Badger Meter News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus remained positive on Badger Meter, keeping a Buy rating, which supports the investment case despite the legal overhang. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several outlets highlighted Badger Meter’s Q1 earnings versus peers in the inspection instruments group, keeping attention on fundamentals rather than adding a clear new catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Rosen Law Firm, Schall Law Firm, Faruqi & Faruqi, Levi & Korsinsky, Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter, and Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman all publicized or advanced a class action lawsuit against Badger Meter, alleging investors were harmed during the April 2024 to April 2026 period. These repeated legal notices can create uncertainty and pressure the stock. Article Title

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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