JPMorgan Chase & Co. Cuts Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Price Target to $160.00

Key Points

• Badger Meter reported a Q1 earnings and revenue miss (EPS $0.93 vs. ~$1.20 expected; revenue $202.3M vs. ~$232M), sending the stock down about 23.6% to $116.30 and to a 52‑week low.
• JPMorgan cut its price target on BMI from $190 to $160 but kept an "overweight" rating — the $160 target implies roughly a 37.6% upside from the current price — while other analysts also trimmed targets and the consensus rating is "Hold" (consensus PT $180.13).
• Separately, Badger announced a strategic acquisition of UK sewer‑monitoring provider UDlive for $100M to expand into higher‑growth sewer‑line monitoring solutions.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) had its price objective decreased by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $190.00 to $160.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "overweight" rating on the scientific and technical instruments company's stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price target indicates a potential upside of 37.57% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on BMI. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $191.00 price objective (down from $229.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $174.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Research raised Badger Meter from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, April 3rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $180.13.

Badger Meter Trading Down 23.6%

NYSE:BMI traded down $35.99 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $116.30. 3,141,470 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 431,214. Badger Meter has a 1 year low of $115.11 and a 1 year high of $256.08. The business's 50-day moving average price is $153.13 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $167.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.90.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter. Badger Meter had a net margin of 15.45% and a return on equity of 20.71%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Badger Meter will post 4.65 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Badger Meter

In other Badger Meter news, EVP Robert Wrocklage acquired 1,650 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $152.35 per share, for a total transaction of $251,377.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 19,541 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,977,071.35. This trade represents a 9.22% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Kimberly K. Stoll sold 1,634 shares of the business's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the vice president owned 3,256 shares in the company, valued at $485,176.56. This trade represents a 33.42% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 3,989 shares of company stock worth $596,002. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Badger Meter

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Values First Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Badger Meter by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. now owns 7,216 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $1,099,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 41.1% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 24,934 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $4,399,000 after purchasing an additional 7,259 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its position in Badger Meter by 50.5% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 212,285 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $37,025,000 after purchasing an additional 71,195 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Badger Meter by 212.9% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clearwave Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Badger Meter in the fourth quarter valued at $271,000. 89.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Badger Meter News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Badger announced a definitive agreement to acquire UK sewer‑monitoring provider UDlive for $100M (plus contingent consideration), funded with cash, to expand its sewer line monitoring presence — a strategic move into a higher‑growth area that could support future organic growth. Badger Meter to Expand Leadership Position in Global Sewer Line Monitoring with Acquisition of UDlive
• Neutral Sentiment: The company filed its Q1 2026 results and supporting materials showing total sales of $202.3M, operating margin compression and EPS of $0.93; the release includes a slide deck and transcript for investors to review management’s detail and near‑term outlook. Badger Meter Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q1 2026 earnings call transcript provides management commentary (project timing, regional dynamics) that investors should read to assess causes of the miss and any guidance or cadence comments. Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 results missed consensus: EPS $0.93 vs. ~$1.20–1.21 expected and revenue $202.3M vs. ~$232M expected — a clear earnings and top‑line shortfall that explains the sharp selling. MarketBeat Q1 Results Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage and headlines emphasize the stock plunge to a new 52‑week low after the earnings miss; Benzinga and other outlets cite CEO comments that attribute part of the weakness to project timing, signaling execution/timing risk. Badger Meter Stock Sinks To 52-Week Low - Here's Why
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and market commentary (Zacks, Fool) note the year‑over‑year EPS decline and miss vs. estimates, advising caution until management demonstrates stabilization in revenue cadence and margin recovery. Badger Meter (BMI) Lags Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

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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