Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Has $60.07 Million Holdings in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Key Points

• Pictet Asset Management cut its Badger Meter stake by 47.7% in the first quarter, though it still held 394,344 shares valued at about $60.1 million.
• Badger Meter’s stock was down 1.6% in the session, and the company recently reported quarterly EPS of $1.14 on revenue of $220.71 million. Analysts currently expect full-year EPS of 4.51.
• The company paid a $0.40 quarterly dividend and saw insider buying from both CEO Kenneth Bockhorst and VP Richard Htwe, even as the stock faces a shareholder class action lawsuit and a mixed Wall Street view with a consensus Hold rating.

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA trimmed its holdings in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI - Free Report) by 47.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 394,344 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock after selling 360,058 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned 1.35% of Badger Meter worth $60,071,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Badger Meter during the 4th quarter worth about $83,819,000. UBS Group AG raised its holdings in Badger Meter by 89.2% in the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 712,650 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $124,293,000 after acquiring an additional 335,953 shares during the period. Bamco Inc. NY bought a new position in Badger Meter in the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,435,000. Amundi lifted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 200,330 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bowen Hanes & Co. Inc. lifted its position in Badger Meter by 336.3% during the fourth quarter. Bowen Hanes & Co. Inc. now owns 257,280 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $44,872,000 after acquiring an additional 198,305 shares during the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Badger Meter Trading Down 1.6%

Shares of Badger Meter stock opened at $138.61 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $4.05 billion, a PE ratio of 31.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a 50 day moving average of $125.39 and a 200-day moving average of $148.76. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 1-year low of $112.09 and a 1-year high of $249.56.

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

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Badger Meter's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.12%.

Insider Activity

In other Badger Meter news, VP Richard Htwe purchased 1,700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $116.13 per share, for a total transaction of $197,421.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 7,603 shares in the company, valued at $882,936.39. The trade was a 28.80% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kenneth Bockhorst purchased 2,200 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $117.53 per share, with a total value of $258,566.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 51,676 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,073,480.28. This trade represents a 4.45% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders acquired 6,628 shares of company stock valued at $777,128. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Trending Headlines about Badger Meter

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

• Negative Sentiment: A shareholder class action lawsuit has been filed alleging Badger Meter made false or misleading statements about pulling forward customer orders, demand, and near-term order trends, which raises the risk of damages and management distraction. Article: BMI INVESTOR ALERT: Class Action Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Badger Meter, Inc. Investors – Holzer & Holzer, LLC Encourages Investors with Losses to Contact the Firm
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms are urging BMI investors to seek lead-plaintiff status ahead of an August 3 deadline, signaling the lawsuit is moving forward and keeping legal overhang in focus. Article: Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI) Shareholders Who Lost Money Have Opportunity to Lead Securities Fraud Lawsuit
• Negative Sentiment: Additional notices from Rosen, Faruqi & Faruqi, Levi & Korsinsky, and others emphasize allegations that Badger Meter’s earlier growth claims may not have matched actual results, reinforcing investor concern about prior disclosures. Article: Levi & Korsinsky Reminds Shareholders of a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of August 3, 2026 in Badger Meter, Inc. Lawsuit - BMI

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BMI has been the topic of several recent research reports. Barclays set a $110.00 price objective on Badger Meter and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $190.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $140.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Badger Meter from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Maxim Group cut 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 assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Badger Meter has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $155.86.

About Badger Meter

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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