Zacks Research Upgrades Itron (NASDAQ:ITRI) to Hold

Itron (NASDAQ:ITRI) was upgraded by equities researchers at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price objective on shares of Itron from $116.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird set a $125.00 target price on Itron in a research report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Itron in a report on Friday, May 8th. Oppenheimer upped their price target on Itron from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Stephens reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of Itron in a research note on Wednesday, May 20th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $131.33.

Itron Stock Down 3.4%

Shares of NASDAQ ITRI opened at $98.85 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $84.38 and a 200 day simple moving average of $89.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 2.75 and a quick ratio of 2.24. Itron has a 1 year low of $77.77 and a 1 year high of $142.00. The firm has a market cap of $4.33 billion, a PE ratio of 16.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 1.32.

Itron (NASDAQ:ITRI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.30. Itron had a net margin of 11.90% and a return on equity of 19.26%. The firm had revenue of $562.90 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $566.34 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.62 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Itron has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.500-1.600 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 6.300-6.500 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Itron will post 6.45 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Itron

In other Itron news, SVP John F. Marcolini sold 322 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $84.37, for a total transaction of $27,167.14. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 24,689 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,083,010.93. This represents a 1.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CFO Joan S. Hooper sold 442 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.37, for a total value of $37,291.54. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 117,478 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,911,618.86. The trade was a 0.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold a total of 3,946 shares of company stock worth $324,420 over the last three months. 1.77% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its position in shares of Itron by 112.4% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 274 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Employees Retirement System of Texas bought a new stake in Itron in the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in Itron by 29.5% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 443 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC acquired a new position in Itron in the third quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Itron by 25.3% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 401 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 81 shares during the period. 96.19% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Itron

Here are the key news stories impacting Itron this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Itron reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.59 per share, well above the $1.29 analyst consensus. Strong margins, demand for its services and a solid backlog helped offset revenue of $562.9 million, which fell short of expectations. ITRI Q2 Earnings Top Despite Soft Revenues, Solid View Lifts Stock 26%
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its fiscal 2026 earnings outlook to $6.30-$6.50 per share and projected third-quarter EPS of $1.50-$1.60. Investors viewed the improved profit outlook and margin performance as more important than the revenue shortfall, triggering a sharp post-earnings rally. Itron jumps after profit beat and upbeat outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Needham raised its price target from $116 to $128 and maintained a Buy rating, implying substantial potential upside from recent trading levels. The average analyst target indicates approximately 25% upside, although price-target estimates are not always reliable. Itron Raises Profit Outlook While Revenue Growth Remains Uneven
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Itron’s valuation, growth and momentum characteristics, while noting that analyst estimate revisions are a more useful signal than the consensus price target alone. Are Investors Undervaluing Itron Right Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue declined 7.2% year over year, and the quarterly sales miss plus an initially softer third-quarter sales outlook raise concerns about uneven top-line growth. The recent pullback also appears consistent with profit-taking after the stock’s large post-earnings advance. Itron Missed Revenue and Still Jumped 26%

Itron Company Profile

Itron, Inc (NASDAQ: ITRI) is a global technology company that develops innovative solutions to measure, manage and analyze the use of energy and water. Its comprehensive portfolio includes smart meters, data collection devices, communication networks and advanced software applications designed to optimize utility operations and foster sustainable resource management. The company’s offerings enable utilities and cities to accurately monitor consumption patterns, streamline billing processes and improve grid reliability.

Itron’s product lineup spans a range of hardware and software solutions, from residential and commercial smart meters to meter data management systems (MDMS), networked communication platforms and analytics tools.