Kimberly Stoll Sells 1,634 Shares of Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Stock

Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) VP Kimberly Stoll sold 1,634 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.01, for a total value of $243,482.34. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 3,256 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $485,176.56. This trade represents a 33.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Badger Meter Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:BMI traded up $0.48 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $149.24. 242,603 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 412,336. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 1-year low of $139.14 and a 1-year high of $256.08. The firm has a market cap of $4.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.87. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $162.88 and a 200 day simple moving average of $174.25.

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

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio is currently 33.33%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on BMI shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $191.00 price objective (down from $229.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Zacks Research cut shares of Badger Meter from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Barclays set a $136.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $181.88.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Badger Meter

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 76.5% in 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 purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Badger Meter during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Badger Meter during the third quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its holdings 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 worth $33,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.