Janus Henderson Group PLC Buys 714,913 Shares of Mueller Water Products $MWA

Key Points

• Janus Henderson Group increased its Mueller Water Products stake by 58.6%, purchasing 714,913 shares to hold 1.93 million shares worth approximately $53.2 million, or 1.24% of the company. Institutional investors collectively own 91.68% of MWA.
• Mueller Water Products reported quarterly EPS of $2.16 on $1.19 billion in revenue, with a 22.11% return on equity and 14.17% net margin. Analysts expect full-year EPS of $1.47.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.07, equal to an annualized $0.28 payout and a 1.1% yield. Analysts have a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $30, compared with a recent share price of $25.30.

Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its stake in Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA - Free Report) by 58.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,934,813 shares of the industrial products company's stock after purchasing an additional 714,913 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC owned about 1.24% of Mueller Water Products worth $53,217,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System lifted its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 22,808 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $543,000 after acquiring an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products by 47.0% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,323 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 423 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 44.8% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,517 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 469 shares in the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 35,732 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $851,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its position in Mueller Water Products by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 11,672 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $278,000 after acquiring an additional 503 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.68% of the company's stock.

Mueller Water Products Price Performance

MWA stock opened at $25.30 on Friday. Mueller Water Products has a 1 year low of $22.74 and a 1 year high of $31.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.96 billion, a PE ratio of 19.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.03. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $25.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $27.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 4.57 and a quick ratio of 2.92.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $1.19 billion for the quarter. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 22.11% and a net margin of 14.17%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Mueller Water Products will post 1.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mueller Water Products Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. Mueller Water Products's dividend payout ratio is currently 21.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on MWA. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $29.00 price target on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Mueller Water Products from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an "underweight" rating and a $25.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen lowered Mueller Water Products from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Mueller Water Products from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $30.00.

Insider Transactions at Mueller Water Products

In other news, Director Brian C. Healy bought 1,183 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $25.33 per share, for a total transaction of $29,965.39. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 24,946 shares of the company's stock, valued at $631,882.18. The trade was a 4.98% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Mueller Water Products Profile

Mueller Water Products, Inc is a leading provider of water infrastructure and flow control products and services designed to help water utilities and municipalities manage, control and measure their water distribution systems. The company's portfolio includes a comprehensive range of products such as fire hydrants, valves, pipe repair systems, fittings and couplings, along with advanced metering and monitoring solutions. By combining traditional mechanical components with digital technologies, Mueller Water Products addresses the critical need for reliable and sustainable water distribution across North America.

The company's operations are organized around two primary business segments.

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