Mueller Water Products $MWA Stake Raised by Intech Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• Intech Investment Management increased its stake in Mueller Water Products by 58.9% in the fourth quarter, ending with 123,367 shares valued at about $2.94 million.
• The stock was trading at $25.05, near its 52-week range of $22.74 to $31.00, and the company showed solid balance-sheet metrics with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42 and strong liquidity ratios.
• Mueller Water Products reported $2.16 EPS in its latest quarter and pays a quarterly dividend of $0.07 per share, while analysts currently have a Moderate Buy consensus with a target price of $31.25.

Intech Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA - Free Report) by 58.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 123,367 shares of the industrial products company's stock after buying an additional 45,742 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC owned 0.08% of Mueller Water Products worth $2,939,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MWA. Danske Bank A S raised its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 266.7% during the fourth quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 1,100 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Mueller Water Products in the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Quarry LP grew its position in Mueller Water Products by 398.0% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,196 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 1,755 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Mueller Water Products by 677.7% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 3,204 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 2,792 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI grew its position in Mueller Water Products by 21.7% in the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 4,617 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $118,000 after buying an additional 823 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 91.68% of the company's stock.

Mueller Water Products Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE MWA opened at $25.05 on Wednesday. Mueller Water Products has a twelve month low of $22.74 and a twelve month high of $31.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.92 and a current ratio of 4.57. The stock has a market cap of $3.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.12, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.03. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $27.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.66.

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

Mueller Water Products Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Mueller Water Products's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Mueller Water Products news, SVP Todd P. Helms sold 10,720 shares of Mueller Water Products stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.61, for a total transaction of $295,979.20. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 64,477 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,780,209.97. This trade represents a 14.26% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Brian C. Healy bought 1,166 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $25.75 per share, with a total value of $30,024.50. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 23,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $611,897.25. This trade represents a 5.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

MWA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 price target on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $32.00 price target (up from $30.00) on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Weiss Ratings restated a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $29.00 price target on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Mueller Water Products from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $31.25.

Mueller Water Products Company 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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