Danske Bank A S Sells 5,113 Shares of Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Danske Bank A S decreased its stake in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) by 94.5% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 300 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 5,113 shares during the quarter. Danske Bank A S’s holdings in Badger Meter were worth $52,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. grew its position in Badger Meter by 154.7% in the third quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 16,922 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $3,022,000 after purchasing an additional 10,277 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its position in Badger Meter by 13.5% in the third quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 70,488 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $12,588,000 after purchasing an additional 8,387 shares in the last quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL grew its position in Badger Meter by 67.0% in the third quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 106,927 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $19,095,000 after purchasing an additional 42,891 shares in the last quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. grew its position in Badger Meter by 85.9% in the third quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 82,568 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $14,745,000 after purchasing an additional 38,160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EULAV Asset Management grew its position in Badger Meter by 7.7% in the third quarter. EULAV Asset Management now owns 91,200 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $16,286,000 after purchasing an additional 6,500 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Badger Meter

In related news, VP Christina M. Tarantino bought 870 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was bought at an average price of $113.80 per share, for a total transaction of $99,006.00. Following the purchase, the vice president owned 1,801 shares in the company, valued at $204,953.80. This represents a 93.45% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Edward F. Callahan bought 858 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $116.30 per share, with a total value of $99,785.40. Following the purchase, the vice president owned 1,186 shares in the company, valued at $137,931.80. The trade was a 261.59% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have acquired 11,578 shares of company stock worth $1,531,492 and have sold 3,989 shares worth $596,002. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and issued a $167.00 target price on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of Badger Meter from $190.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Argus downgraded shares of Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Badger Meter from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Badger Meter from $197.00 to $169.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Badger Meter currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $155.86.

Badger Meter Stock Performance

NYSE BMI opened at $122.61 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $143.74 and a 200-day moving average of $162.56. The stock has a market cap of $3.58 billion, a PE ratio of 27.68, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.68. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 52-week low of $112.09 and a 52-week high of $256.08.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter. Badger Meter had a net margin of 14.56% and a return on equity of 18.76%. As a group, analysts predict that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 22nd. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.12%.

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.