Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Has $8.17 Million Stock Holdings in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management dramatically increased its stake in Badger Meter, boosting holdings by 6,924.3% in the fourth quarter to 46,852 shares worth about $8.17 million.
• Institutional investors remain heavily involved in the stock, with several firms such as UBS Group AG, Pictet Asset Management and Amundi also raising their positions; institutions now own 89.01% of Badger Meter shares.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but cautious, with the stock carrying an overall "Hold" rating and an average price target of $155.86, while recent insider buying by the CEO and a vice president suggests internal confidence.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Free Report) by 6,924.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 46,852 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after buying an additional 46,185 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. owned about 0.16% of Badger Meter worth $8,171,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of BMI. UBS Group AG boosted its position in shares of Badger Meter by 89.2% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 712,650 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $124,293,000 after buying an additional 335,953 shares during the period. Bamco Inc. NY acquired a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the third quarter worth $45,435,000. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its position in shares of Badger Meter by 39.2% in the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 754,402 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $131,592,000 after buying an additional 212,448 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its position in shares of Badger Meter by 99.5% in the third quarter. Amundi now owns 401,668 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $72,203,000 after buying an additional 200,330 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in shares of Badger Meter by 3,540.4% in the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 192,031 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $34,293,000 after buying an additional 186,756 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.01% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BMI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Argus cut Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays set a $110.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $140.00 price objective on Badger Meter in a research report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Badger Meter from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 3rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $155.86.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Badger Meter news, VP Christina M. Tarantino acquired 870 shares of Badger Meter stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $113.80 per share, for a total transaction of $99,006.00. Following the purchase, the vice president directly owned 1,801 shares in the company, valued at approximately $204,953.80. This represents a 93.45% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Kenneth Bockhorst acquired 2,200 shares of Badger Meter stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $117.53 per share, with a total value of $258,566.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 51,676 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,073,480.28. The trade was a 4.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 6,628 shares of company stock worth $777,128 and have sold 3,989 shares worth $596,002. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company's stock.

Badger Meter Trading Up 4.6%

NYSE BMI opened at $125.75 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $136.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $157.69. The company has a market capitalization of $3.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.39, a PEG ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 0.68. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 1-year low of $112.09 and a 1-year high of $256.08.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $220.71 million for the quarter. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 14.56%. On average, analysts predict that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Badger Meter's payout ratio is presently 36.12%.

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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