Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI Shares Acquired by Vontobel Holding Ltd.

Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) by 198.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,031 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 6,007 shares during the period. Vontobel Holding Ltd.’s holdings in Badger Meter were worth $1,613,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. raised its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 170.5% during the second quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in Badger Meter during the 2nd quarter valued at $49,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in Badger Meter during the 2nd quarter valued at $54,000. MAI Capital Management increased its stake in Badger Meter by 57.6% during the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 260 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. Finally, Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Badger Meter in the 2nd quarter worth $66,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Badger Meter Stock Down 0.9%

NYSE:BMI opened at $180.82 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $5.33 billion, a PE ratio of 38.47, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.93. The business’s 50 day moving average is $180.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $194.66. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 52 week low of $162.17 and a 52 week high of $256.08.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $235.65 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $231.88 million. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 21.12% and a net margin of 15.40%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.08 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 21st were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 21st. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio is 34.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on BMI shares. Zacks Research upgraded Badger Meter from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 22nd. Weiss Ratings lowered Badger Meter from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $229.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Robert W. Baird set a $205.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Friday, December 12th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $220.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $227.00.

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.