Norges Bank Makes New Investment in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 480,588 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $83,819,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BMI. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in Badger Meter during the 4th quarter worth $227,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 328.0% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,766 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $717,000 after acquiring an additional 2,886 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers increased its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 10.6% in the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 2,334 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $572,000 after acquiring an additional 223 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp purchased a new position in shares of Badger Meter in the 2nd quarter valued at $200,000. Finally, California Public Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 11.2% in the 2nd quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 50,225 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $12,303,000 after acquiring an additional 5,041 shares during the period. 89.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Badger Meter

Here are the key news stories impacting Badger Meter this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms announced or reminded investors about a federal securities class action against Badger Meter covering purchases from April 18, 2024 through April 16, 2026, with a lead-plaintiff deadline of August 3, 2026. These notices often weigh on sentiment because they point to alleged investor harm and potential legal risk. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Rosen Law Firm, Howard G. Smith, Faruqi & Faruqi, The Schall Law Firm, Bernstein Liebhard, and others all issued similar class-action and securities-fraud alerts, reinforcing concerns that the company may face broader litigation and reputational pressure. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several items repeat the same litigation message rather than introducing new corporate developments, suggesting the day’s move is being driven mainly by legal headlines instead of changes in operations or fundamentals.
• Negative Sentiment: A Zacks note also highlighted that BMI has been under pressure recently, with the stock falling despite broader market gains, adding to the bearish tone around the name. Article Title

Insider Activity

In other Badger Meter news, VP Edward F. Callahan bought 858 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $116.30 per share, for a total transaction of $99,785.40. Following the purchase, the vice president directly owned 1,186 shares in the company, valued at $137,931.80. This represents a 261.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Christina M. Tarantino bought 870 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $113.80 per share, for a total transaction of $99,006.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the vice president owned 1,801 shares in the company, valued at $204,953.80. The trade was a 93.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders bought 6,628 shares of company stock worth $777,128 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Badger Meter Price Performance

Shares of BMI stock opened at $126.63 on Friday. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 1-year low of $112.09 and a 1-year high of $252.53. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $131.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $153.66. The company has a market cap of $3.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.68.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 14.56%.The firm had revenue of $220.71 million for the quarter. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 5th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 22nd. Badger Meter’s payout ratio is 36.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on BMI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Badger Meter from $190.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. Maxim Group downgraded Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Badger Meter from $173.00 to $145.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Zacks Research upgraded Badger Meter from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 3rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Badger Meter from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, May 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $155.86.

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.