Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. Sells 23,437 Shares of Mueller Water Products $MWA

Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc. lowered its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) by 4.8% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 467,585 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 23,437 shares during the quarter. Mueller Water Products comprises 2.4% of Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Speece Thorson Capital Group Inc.’s holdings in Mueller Water Products were worth $11,138,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of MWA. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in Mueller Water Products by 25.3% during the first 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 lifted its position in 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 valued at $3,113,000 after purchasing an additional 57,053 shares during the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new position in Mueller Water Products during the first quarter valued at $205,000. United Services Automobile Association bought a new position in Mueller Water Products during the first quarter valued at $212,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in Mueller Water Products by 10.9% during the first 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. Institutional investors own 91.68% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Todd P. Helms sold 10,720 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.61, for a total value of $295,979.20. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 64,477 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,780,209.97. This trade represents a 14.26% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack bought 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $29.58 per share, with a total value of $739,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $739,500. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $32.00 price objective (up from $30.00) on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Mueller Water Products from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Mueller Water Products currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $31.33.

Mueller Water Products Price Performance

Mueller Water Products stock opened at $28.14 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $28.60 and a 200-day moving average price of $26.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.40 billion, a PE ratio of 22.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.29 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 4.02, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. Mueller Water Products has a 12-month low of $22.74 and a 12-month high of $31.00.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $318.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $315.26 million. Mueller Water Products had a net margin of 13.83% and a return on equity of 22.34%. The business’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.25 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Mueller Water Products will post 1.45 EPS for the current year.

Mueller Water Products Company Profile

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.