Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) EVP Purchases $251,377.50 in Stock

Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) EVP Robert Wrocklage bought 1,650 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $152.35 per share, for a total transaction of $251,377.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 19,541 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,977,071.35. This trade represents a 9.22% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Badger Meter Trading Up 3.4%

BMI stock traded up $5.16 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $155.74. The company had a trading volume of 122,035 shares, compared to its average volume of 429,703. Badger Meter, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $139.14 and a fifty-two week high of $256.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.90. The business has a 50 day moving average of $171.26 and a 200 day moving average of $178.12.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 15.45% and a return on equity of 20.71%. The company had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $232.30 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.04 EPS. Badger Meter’s quarterly 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 year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $167.00 target price on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Badger Meter from $232.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Barclays set a $136.00 target price on shares of Badger Meter and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Argus lowered Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $181.88.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Badger Meter

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in Badger Meter in the 4th quarter valued at about $227,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Badger Meter by 328.0% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,766 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $717,000 after purchasing an additional 2,886 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its position in Badger Meter by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 27,559 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $6,751,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Callan Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Badger Meter during the 2nd quarter worth $260,000. Finally, Aberdeen Group plc acquired a new stake in Badger Meter in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,884,000. 89.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Badger Meter

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.