GW&K Investment Management LLC Purchases 39,253 Shares of Mueller Water Products $MWA

GW&K Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) by 7.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 589,466 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 39,253 shares during the period. GW&K Investment Management LLC owned 0.38% of Mueller Water Products worth $15,043,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of MWA. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 30,862 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 87.2% during the first 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 acquired a new position in shares of Mueller Water Products during the first quarter valued at about $205,000. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in shares of Mueller Water Products during the first quarter valued at about $212,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 10.9% in the 1st 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 purchasing an additional 56,404 shares during the last quarter. 91.68% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mueller Water Products Stock Down 3.3%

MWA opened at $27.97 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.55, a current ratio of 4.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Mueller Water Products has a twelve month low of $22.01 and a twelve month high of $31.00. The company has a market cap of $4.37 billion, a PE ratio of 22.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.33 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $27.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.96.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.27 by $0.02. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 22.34% and a net margin of 13.83%.The business had revenue of $318.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $315.26 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Mueller Water Products will post 1.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mueller Water Products Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th were paid a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 10th. Mueller Water Products’s dividend payout ratio is 22.22%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Brian C. Healy bought 1,125 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $24.41 per share, with a total value of $27,461.25. Following the purchase, the director owned 17,925 shares in the company, valued at approximately $437,549.25. The trade was a 6.70% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack bought 25,000 shares of Mueller Water Products stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $29.58 per share, for a total transaction of $739,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 25,000 shares in the company, valued at $739,500. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on MWA. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Mueller Water Products from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $32.00 price target (up from $30.00) on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $31.33.

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.