Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Lowers Stake in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH cut its position in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) by 21.5% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 51,258 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 14,053 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH’s holdings in Badger Meter were worth $12,556,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in Badger Meter during the 4th quarter worth approximately $227,000. CWM LLC grew its stake in Badger Meter by 18.1% during the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,078 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $205,000 after buying an additional 165 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Badger Meter by 20.7% in the first quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 58,299 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $11,091,000 after acquiring an additional 10,004 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 5,877.8% in the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 538 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $102,000 after acquiring an additional 529 shares during the period. Finally, Choreo LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 1,361 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Badger Meter Stock Down 1.8%

Shares of BMI opened at $169.01 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $4.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.96, a PEG ratio of 3.02 and a beta of 0.94. The business’s 50 day moving average is $179.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $206.28. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 52-week low of $162.17 and a 52-week high of $256.08.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by $0.08. Badger Meter had a net margin of 15.40% and a return on equity of 21.12%. The business had revenue of $235.65 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $231.88 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.08 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 13.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 21st will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 21st. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.04%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on BMI shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded Badger Meter from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Zacks Research upgraded Badger Meter from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on Badger Meter in a research report on Tuesday, September 9th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $230.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $229.00 price target on Badger Meter and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $205.00 price objective on shares of Badger Meter and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $227.33.

Badger Meter Company Profile

Badger Meter, Inc manufactures and markets flow measurement, quality, control, and communication solutions worldwide. It offers mechanical or static water meters, and related radio and software technologies and services to municipal water utilities market. The company also provides flow instrumentation products, including meters, valves, and other sensing instruments to measure and control fluids going through a pipe or pipeline, including water, air, steam, and other liquids and gases to original equipment manufacturers as the primary flow measurement device within a product or system, as well as through manufacturers' representatives.