Needham Investment Management LLC Buys 10,000 Shares of Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Key Points

• Needham Investment Management boosted its Badger Meter stake by 66.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 10,000 additional shares and bringing its total to 25,000 shares worth about $4.36 million.
• Insider buying has also been active, with Vice Presidents Christina M. Tarantino and Edward F. Callahan both purchasing shares in April; company insiders bought 6,628 shares over the last three months.
• Badger Meter’s stock and outlook remain mixed: the shares recently traded at $134.14, analysts rate it “Hold” on average with a $155.86 target, and the company continues to face a securities class action notice despite recent operational and sustainability updates.

Needham Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Free Report) by 66.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 25,000 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares during the quarter. Needham Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.08% of Badger Meter worth $4,360,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Badger Meter in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in Badger Meter by 76.5% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Badger Meter in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in Badger Meter in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its stake in Badger Meter by 62.3% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.01% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Christina M. Tarantino acquired 870 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $113.80 per share, with a total value of $99,006.00. Following the acquisition, the vice president owned 1,801 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $204,953.80. The trade was a 93.45% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Edward F. Callahan acquired 858 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $116.30 per share, with a total value of $99,785.40. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president directly owned 1,186 shares in the company, valued at $137,931.80. The trade was a 261.59% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders bought 6,628 shares of company stock worth $777,128. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Badger Meter Price Performance

BMI opened at $134.14 on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $129.46 and a 200-day moving average price of $151.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.68. Badger Meter, Inc. has a one year low of $112.09 and a one year high of $251.54.

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

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BMI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus set a $140.00 price objective on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Barclays set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Badger Meter and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Badger Meter from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Maxim Group lowered shares of Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $155.86.

More Badger Meter News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Badger Meter released its 2025 Sustainability Report, highlighting continued ESG progress and its expanding role in water and wastewater solutions. Badger Meter Releases 2025 Sustainability Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple law firms issued reminders about an existing securities class action against Badger Meter covering purchases from April 18, 2024 to April 16, 2026, with a lead-plaintiff deadline of August 3, 2026. The repeated notices increase legal overhang but do not change the underlying case itself. Rosen Encourages Badger Meter Investors to Secure Counsel
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional firms, including Robbins LLP, Levi & Korsinsky, Faruqi & Faruqi, the Schall Law Firm, Frank R. Cruz, and Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, also publicized the same class action, keeping investor focus on alleged securities-law issues rather than operating fundamentals. Robbins LLP Class Action Notice

Badger Meter 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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