Wall Street Zen Downgrades Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) to Sell

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) from a "hold" to a "sell" in a report released Saturday.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed—five Buys, six Holds and one Sell—leaving a MarketBeat consensus of "Hold" with a $155.86 price target after several recent target cuts.
• Insiders have been buying (11,578 shares over the last 90 days, including recent VP purchases), while the stock trades near $121.92 with a market cap of about $3.56 billion and a 12‑month range of $112.09–$256.08.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) was downgraded by Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report released on Saturday.

BMI has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Badger Meter from $197.00 to $169.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $174.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Argus lowered shares of Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Maxim Group lowered Badger Meter from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $167.00 target price on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $155.86.

Badger Meter Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE BMI opened at $121.92 on Friday. Badger Meter has a twelve month low of $112.09 and a twelve month high of $256.08. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $145.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $163.96. The company has a market capitalization of $3.56 billion, a PE ratio of 27.52, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 0.68.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 14.56%. As a group, research analysts expect that Badger Meter will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Edward F. Callahan acquired 858 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were bought at an average cost of $116.30 per share, with a total value of $99,785.40. Following the acquisition, the vice president owned 1,186 shares in the company, valued at approximately $137,931.80. This represents a 261.59% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Christina M. Tarantino bought 870 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $113.80 per share, with a total value of $99,006.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 1,801 shares in the company, valued at $204,953.80. The trade was a 93.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 11,578 shares of company stock valued at $1,531,492 and have sold 3,989 shares valued at $596,002. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Badger Meter

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in BMI. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Badger Meter in the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in Badger Meter by 76.5% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Badger Meter during the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in shares of Badger Meter in the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in Badger Meter by 62.3% in the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.01% of the company's stock.

Badger Meter Company 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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