Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Royal Bank Of Canada Analyst Says

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target on Mueller Water Products to $31 (from $30) and kept a "sector perform" rating, implying roughly a 14.73% upside from the prior close.
• Analyst consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $31.25 (two Buy, two Hold), signaling slightly positive but mixed sentiment among brokers.
• Shares traded at $27.02 (down 0.4%) with a $4.23B market cap and P/E of 20.66; the company reported Q results of $2.16 EPS on $1.19B revenue, and insiders recently both bought (director 25,000 shares) and sold (SVP 10,720 shares).

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA - Get Free Report) had its price target upped by stock analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $30.00 to $31.00 in a research note issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "sector perform" rating on the industrial products company's stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's target price indicates a potential upside of 14.73% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $29.00 target price on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Wednesday. Oppenheimer reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $32.00 price objective (up from $30.00) on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 price target on Mueller Water Products in a report on Friday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Mueller Water Products presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $31.25.

Mueller Water Products Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of MWA stock traded down $0.12 on Thursday, hitting $27.02. The stock had a trading volume of 395,880 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,166,495. The stock's 50 day moving average is $28.35 and its 200-day moving average is $26.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.66, a P/E/G ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.08. Mueller Water Products has a 52-week low of $22.74 and a 52-week high of $31.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 4.02.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Mueller Water Products had a net margin of 14.17% and a return on equity of 22.65%. The firm had revenue of $1.19 billion for the quarter. As a group, research analysts expect that Mueller Water Products will post 1.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Gregg C. Sengstack acquired 25,000 shares of Mueller Water Products stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $29.58 per share, for a total transaction of $739,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $739,500. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Todd P. Helms sold 10,720 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.61, for a total value of $295,979.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 64,477 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,780,209.97. This represents a 14.26% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 1.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in Mueller Water Products during the third quarter worth approximately $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 valued at $23,739,000 after acquiring an additional 357,087 shares during the last quarter. Perpetual Ltd boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 39,656 shares in the last quarter. Fox Run Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in shares of Mueller Water Products in the 3rd quarter worth $1,781,000. Finally, Elo Mutual Pension Insurance Co grew its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products by 106.6% in 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 acquiring an additional 36,671 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.68% of the company's stock.

Mueller Water Products Company Profile

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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