Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Takes Position in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new stake in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 56,724 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,417,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. owned approximately 0.20% of Badger Meter as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Badger Meter in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Badger Meter during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Dunhill Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Badger Meter during the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Frazier Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Badger Meter news, VP Edward F. Callahan purchased 751 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 30th. The stock was bought at an average price of $135.25 per share, with a total value of $101,572.75. Following the acquisition, the vice president owned 1,937 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $261,979.25. This represents a 63.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Badger Meter Trading Up 0.3%

NYSE BMI opened at $132.19 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.89, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.65. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $137.48 and its 200 day simple moving average is $139.06. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 1 year low of $112.09 and a 1 year high of $204.00.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.01. Badger Meter had a net margin of 14.27% and a return on equity of 18.03%. The business had revenue of $220.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $220.59 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.17 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Badger Meter Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 28th will be paid a $0.44 dividend. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 28th. This is a positive change from Badger Meter’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio is 37.38%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on BMI shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Badger Meter from $172.00 to $170.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating and set a $112.00 price objective (up from $109.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Seaport Research Partners set a $160.00 price objective on Badger Meter in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $170.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Badger Meter from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $164.00.

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.