Fundsmith Investment Services LTD. Purchases Shares of 132,631 Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Fundsmith Investment Services LTD. purchased a new position in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm purchased 132,631 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,132,000. Badger Meter makes up approximately 0.4% of Fundsmith Investment Services LTD.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest position.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of BMI. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its stake in Badger Meter by 76.5% during 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 acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Badger Meter in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in Badger Meter in the third quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake 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 valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Badger Meter

In other news, VP Richard Htwe bought 1,700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was bought at an average price of $116.13 per share, for a total transaction of $197,421.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president directly owned 7,603 shares in the company, valued at approximately $882,936.39. This trade represents a 28.80% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Robert Wrocklage purchased 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $122.35 per share, for a total transaction of $122,350.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,321 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,853,324.35. This represents a 4.48% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 6,628 shares of company stock worth $777,128. 1.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

More Badger Meter News

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays set a $110.00 price objective on shares of Badger Meter and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Wall Street Zen lowered Badger Meter from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Badger Meter from $173.00 to $145.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings lowered Badger Meter from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $155.86.

Badger Meter Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of Badger Meter stock opened at $135.67 on Wednesday. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 52 week low of $112.09 and a 52 week high of $251.54. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $129.04 and a 200-day moving average price of $151.37. The company has a market cap of $3.96 billion, a PE ratio of 30.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.68.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $220.71 million for the quarter. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 14.56%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

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

Badger Meter 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.