Wall Street Zen Downgrades Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) to Hold

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Sunday.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $25.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $29.00 target price on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on shares of Mueller Water Products from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Mueller Water Products from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Mueller Water Products currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.00.

Mueller Water Products Stock Performance

NYSE:MWA opened at $25.79 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $25.44 and its 200 day moving average is $27.02. The firm has a market cap of $4.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.68, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.92 and a current ratio of 4.57. Mueller Water Products has a 52-week low of $22.74 and a 52-week high of $31.00.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 22.11% and a net margin of 14.17%.The business had revenue of $1.19 billion during the quarter. Research analysts predict that Mueller Water Products will post 1.47 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Mueller Water Products

In related news, Director Brian C. Healy acquired 1,183 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $25.33 per share, for a total transaction of $29,965.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 24,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $631,882.18. This trade represents a 4.98% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mueller Water Products

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 25.3% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 153,043 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,890,000 after buying an additional 30,862 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products by 87.2% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 122,472 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,113,000 after acquiring an additional 57,053 shares during the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Mueller Water Products in the first quarter worth $205,000. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in Mueller Water Products in the first quarter worth $212,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in Mueller Water Products by 10.9% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 572,686 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $14,558,000 after acquiring an additional 56,404 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.68% of the company’s stock.

About Mueller Water Products

Mueller Water Products, Inc is a leading provider of water infrastructure and flow control products and services designed to help water utilities and municipalities manage, control and measure their water distribution systems. The company’s portfolio includes a comprehensive range of products such as fire hydrants, valves, pipe repair systems, fittings and couplings, along with advanced metering and monitoring solutions. By combining traditional mechanical components with digital technologies, Mueller Water Products addresses the critical need for reliable and sustainable water distribution across North America.

The company’s operations are organized around two primary business segments.