UBS Group AG Decreases Stock Holdings in Mueller Water Products $MWA

Key Points

• UBS Group AG cut its stake in Mueller Water Products by 16.5% in the fourth quarter, selling 247,367 shares and leaving it with 1.26 million shares worth about $29.9 million.
• Insider activity was mixed: Director Gregg C. Sengstack bought 25,000 shares, while SVP Todd P. Helms sold 10,720 shares, and insiders overall own about 1.10% of the company.
• Mueller Water Products reported solid financials with quarterly EPS of $2.16 on revenue of $1.19 billion, and it recently declared a $0.07 quarterly dividend to be paid May 20.

UBS Group AG reduced its position in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA - Free Report) by 16.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,255,018 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 247,367 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned about 0.80% of Mueller Water Products worth $29,895,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Mueller Water Products during the 3rd quarter worth $692,000. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 62.3% during the 3rd quarter. Jupiter Asset Management Ltd. now owns 930,230 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $23,739,000 after purchasing an additional 357,087 shares during the last quarter. Perpetual Ltd lifted its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 10.2% during the 4th quarter. Perpetual Ltd now owns 429,580 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $10,233,000 after purchasing an additional 39,656 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 998.6% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 387,050 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $9,220,000 after purchasing an additional 351,819 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co lifted its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 106.6% during the 3rd quarter. Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co now owns 71,083 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $1,814,000 after purchasing an additional 36,671 shares during the last quarter. 91.68% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Mueller Water Products news, Director Gregg C. Sengstack acquired 25,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $29.58 per share, for a total transaction of $739,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 25,000 shares in the company, valued at $739,500. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 64,477 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,780,209.97. This represents a 14.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Mueller Water Products Trading Down 1.9%

NYSE MWA opened at $26.38 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 4.57. The firm has a market cap of $4.13 billion, a PE ratio of 20.14, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.08. Mueller Water Products has a one year low of $22.74 and a one year high of $31.00. The firm's fifty day moving average is $28.29 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.65.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.19 billion for the quarter. Mueller Water Products had a net margin of 14.17% and a return on equity of 22.11%. Analysts expect that Mueller Water Products will post 1.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Mueller Water Products Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be paid a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. Mueller Water Products's payout ratio is currently 21.37%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MWA shares. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective 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. Oppenheimer reissued 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. Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 price target on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $29.00 price target on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Wednesday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Mueller Water Products currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $31.25.

About Mueller Water Products

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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