Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. Has $2.85 Million Position in Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA)

Key Points

• Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. reduced its stake in Mueller Water Products by 11.7%, owning 112,049 shares valued at approximately $2.85 million after selling 14,781 shares.
• Mueller Water Products recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.067 per share, leading to a 1.0% dividend yield with a payout ratio of 28.72%.
• Analysts upgraded Mueller Water Products from a "hold" rating to a "buy," with an average price target of $26.25 and expectations for a 1.24 EPS for the fiscal year.

Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. lessened its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA - Free Report) by 11.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 112,049 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 14,781 shares during the period. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. owned 0.07% of Mueller Water Products worth $2,848,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Benjamin Edwards Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Mueller Water Products during the 1st quarter valued at $360,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Mueller Water Products during the 1st quarter valued at $639,000. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System acquired a new position in shares of Mueller Water Products during the 1st quarter valued at $1,161,000. Mutual of America Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Mueller Water Products during the 1st quarter valued at $580,000. Finally, Arjuna Capital acquired a new position in shares of Mueller Water Products during the 1st quarter valued at $1,201,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.68% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Mueller Water Products from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 12th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $26.25.

Mueller Water Products Stock Performance

MWA opened at $25.59 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.86, a quick ratio of 2.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The company's fifty day moving average price is $24.50 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.09. Mueller Water Products has a 1-year low of $19.23 and a 1-year high of $28.58. The company has a market cap of $4.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.22, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.18.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.01). Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 20.89% and a net margin of 10.67%. The business had revenue of $380.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $366.82 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.32 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Mueller Water Products will post 1.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mueller Water Products Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 12th will be issued a $0.067 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 12th. This represents a $0.27 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Mueller Water Products's dividend payout ratio is currently 28.72%.

Insider Activity at Mueller Water Products

In other news, Director Brian C. Healy bought 1,110 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $24.74 per share, for a total transaction of $27,461.40. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 15,730 shares in the company, valued at approximately $389,160.20. This trade represents a 7.59% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Mueller Water Products

Mueller Water Products, Inc manufactures and markets products and services for the transmission, distribution, and measurement of water used by municipalities, and the residential and non-residential construction industries in the United States, Israel, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Water Flow Solutions and Water Management Solutions.

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