Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI Shares Sold by Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas

Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas cut its position in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) by 33.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,279 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 4,254 shares during the quarter. Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas’ holdings in Badger Meter were worth $1,444,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Badger Meter during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Badger Meter by 76.5% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Badger Meter during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in Badger Meter during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in Badger Meter by 62.3% during the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Badger Meter

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

• Negative Sentiment: Multiple firms announced or promoted a class action lawsuit against Badger Meter, increasing concerns about possible legal costs, management distraction, and reputational damage. Pomerantz Article
• Negative Sentiment: The class period and lead-plaintiff deadline reminders keep the litigation in focus, which can weigh on investor sentiment and the shares. Rosen Article
• Negative Sentiment: Additional law-firm notices suggest the lawsuit is gaining attention, reinforcing uncertainty around Badger Meter’s near-term stock performance. Bronstein Article

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BMI has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Zacks Research cut Badger Meter from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Maxim Group cut Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Weiss Ratings cut Badger Meter from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $140.00 price objective on Badger Meter in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $155.86.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Badger Meter news, CEO Kenneth Bockhorst purchased 2,200 shares of Badger Meter stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $117.53 per share, with a total value of $258,566.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 51,676 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,073,480.28. This represents a 4.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Christina M. Tarantino purchased 870 shares of Badger Meter stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $113.80 per share, with a total value of $99,006.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president directly owned 1,801 shares in the company, valued at approximately $204,953.80. This trade represents a 93.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 6,628 shares of company stock worth $777,128. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Badger Meter Price Performance

BMI opened at $135.67 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $129.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $151.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.62, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.68. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 12 month low of $112.09 and a 12 month high of $251.54.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter. The business 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%. Research analysts anticipate that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.12%.

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.