Insider Selling: Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) VP Sells $243,482.34 in Stock

Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) VP Kimberly Stoll sold 1,634 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.01, for a total transaction of $243,482.34. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 3,256 shares in the company, valued at approximately $485,176.56. This trade represents a 33.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Badger Meter Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of NYSE:BMI opened at $148.79 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $4.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.87. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 12 month low of $139.14 and a 12 month high of $256.08. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $161.51 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $173.79.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.01). Badger Meter had a return on equity of 20.71% and a net margin of 15.45%.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 firm posted $1.04 earnings per share. The company’s 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 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Badger Meter’s payout ratio is 33.33%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Badger Meter

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Badger Meter during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in shares of Badger Meter by 76.5% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Badger Meter in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in shares of Badger Meter in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in shares of Badger Meter by 62.3% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

BMI has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Badger Meter from $232.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $191.00 price objective (down from $229.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Badger Meter presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $181.88.

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.