Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI Shares Acquired by Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) by 154.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 16,922 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,277 shares during the quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. owned about 0.06% of Badger Meter worth $3,022,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new position in shares of Badger Meter during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 27.3% in the third quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in Badger Meter during the second quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in Badger Meter during the second quarter worth $54,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

BMI has been the subject of several analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Zacks Research cut shares of Badger Meter from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Badger Meter from $232.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Argus downgraded shares of Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. 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 MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $181.88.

Badger Meter Stock Up 1.9%

NYSE:BMI opened at $148.79 on Monday. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 52 week low of $139.14 and a 52 week high of $256.08. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $161.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $173.60. The company has a market capitalization of $4.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 0.87.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last released 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 analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $232.30 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.04 earnings per share. Badger Meter’s revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

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

Insider Transactions at Badger Meter

In other news, EVP Robert Wrocklage bought 1,650 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $152.35 per share, with a total value of $251,377.50. Following the purchase, the executive vice president owned 19,541 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,977,071.35. The trade was a 9.22% 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, VP Fred J. Begale sold 2,064 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $309,600.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,040 shares in the company, valued at approximately $456,000. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 3,846 shares of company stock valued at $575,339 over the last three months. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.