Perpetual Ltd Has $5.81 Million Stock Holdings in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Key Points

• Perpetual Ltd cut its stake in Badger Meter by 20.2% during Q4, holding 33,289 shares worth $5.81 million (about 0.11% of the company) after selling 8,446 shares.
• Several large institutions boosted or initiated positions—Amundi nearly doubled to 401,668 shares (~$72.2M), Marshall Wace (+3,540.4%), UBS (+95.2%) and Bamco (new ~$45.4M stake)—leaving institutional ownership at 89.01%.
• Badger Meter slightly missed Q expectations with EPS $1.14 (est. $1.15) and revenue $220.7M (est. $232.3M, +7.6% YoY); the company has a market cap of $4.58 billion, a PE of 32.69, pays a $0.40 quarterly dividend (1.0% yield), and carries an average analyst rating of "Hold" with a $182.88 target.

Perpetual Ltd lowered its stake in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Free Report) by 20.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 33,289 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 8,446 shares during the period. Perpetual Ltd owned approximately 0.11% of Badger Meter worth $5,806,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bamco Inc. NY acquired a new stake in Badger Meter during the third quarter worth approximately $45,435,000. Amundi increased its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 99.5% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 401,668 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $72,203,000 after purchasing an additional 200,330 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its holdings in Badger Meter by 3,540.4% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 192,031 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $34,293,000 after purchasing an additional 186,756 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG lifted its holdings in Badger Meter by 95.2% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 376,697 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $67,271,000 after purchasing an additional 183,755 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in Badger Meter by 108.2% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 342,099 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $83,797,000 after purchasing an additional 177,781 shares during the period. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Badger Meter Stock Up 0.1%

BMI stock opened at $156.89 on Friday. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 52 week low of $139.14 and a 52 week high of $256.08. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $152.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $169.16. The company has a market cap of $4.58 billion, a PE ratio of 32.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.90.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.01). Badger Meter had a return on equity of 20.71% and a net margin of 15.45%.The firm had revenue of $220.71 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $232.30 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.04 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Badger Meter's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.33%.

Insider Activity

In other Badger Meter news, VP Kimberly K. Stoll sold 1,634 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.01, for a total transaction of $243,482.34. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 3,256 shares in the company, valued at $485,176.56. The trade was a 33.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Robert Wrocklage bought 1,650 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $152.35 per share, with a total value of $251,377.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 19,541 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,977,071.35. The trade was a 9.22% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 3,989 shares of company stock valued at $596,002. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on BMI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Badger Meter from $232.00 to $190.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $191.00 target price (down from $229.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and issued a $167.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Badger Meter from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $165.00 to $173.00 in a research note on Monday, March 30th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $182.88.

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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