Kimberly Stoll Sells 143 Shares of Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Stock

Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) VP Kimberly Stoll sold 143 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $144.50, for a total value of $20,663.50. Following the sale, the vice president owned 3,523 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $509,073.50. The trade was a 3.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Badger Meter Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of BMI stock opened at $146.89 on Thursday. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 12 month low of $139.14 and a 12 month high of $256.08. The firm has a market cap of $4.29 billion, a PE ratio of 30.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.87. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $159.74 and a 200-day moving average of $172.88.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last announced 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 the consensus estimate of $1.15 by ($0.01). Badger Meter had a return on equity of 20.71% and a net margin of 15.45%.The company had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $232.30 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.04 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.33%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Argus lowered Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus set a $166.00 price objective on Badger Meter and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Barclays set a $136.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $191.00 price target (down from $229.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $165.00 price objective on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $181.88.

Institutional Trading of Badger Meter

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in Badger Meter during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its stake in Badger Meter by 76.5% in the fourth 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 stake in shares of Badger Meter during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.