Allianz Asset Management GmbH Sells 21,180 Shares of Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Allianz Asset Management GmbH cut its position in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) by 15.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 116,510 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 21,180 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH owned 0.40% of Badger Meter worth $20,806,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bridges Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 37.0% in the 3rd quarter. Bridges Investment Management Inc. now owns 16,820 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $3,004,000 after acquiring an additional 4,544 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming boosted its stake in Badger Meter by 51.4% in the third quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 984 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $176,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Badger Meter by 124.4% in the third quarter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC now owns 2,558 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $457,000 after purchasing an additional 1,418 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 3.9% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 165,002 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $29,466,000 after purchasing an additional 6,240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 16.7% in the third quarter. Bryn Mawr Trust Advisors LLC now owns 1,175 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $210,000 after buying an additional 168 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Badger Meter Trading Up 3.5%

NYSE:BMI opened at $150.96 on Friday. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 1-year low of $139.14 and a 1-year high of $256.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.45, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.90. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $171.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $178.68.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $232.30 million. Badger Meter had a net margin of 15.45% and a return on equity of 20.71%. The business’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.04 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Argus lowered shares of Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Zacks Research cut shares of Badger Meter from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Robert W. Baird set a $165.00 price objective on Badger Meter in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $167.00 price objective on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $181.88.

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.