Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Reaches New 1-Year Low After Earnings Miss

Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) reached a new 52-week low on Friday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as low as $120.41 and last traded at $124.6550, with a volume of 464175 shares. The stock had previously closed at $152.29.

The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 20.71% and a net margin of 15.45%.The firm had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.33%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

BMI has been the subject of several research reports. Zacks Research raised Badger Meter from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $167.00 target price on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Badger Meter from $232.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $174.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $191.00 target price (down from $229.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Badger Meter has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $183.88.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Robert Wrocklage acquired 1,650 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $152.35 per share, with a total value of $251,377.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 19,541 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,977,071.35. This trade represents a 9.22% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Kimberly K. Stoll sold 1,634 shares of Badger Meter stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.01, for a total value of $243,482.34. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,256 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $485,176.56. This trade represents a 33.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 3,989 shares of company stock valued at $596,002 in the last three months. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Badger Meter

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Values First Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 1.3% during the first quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. now owns 7,216 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,099,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 41.1% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 24,934 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $4,399,000 after purchasing an additional 7,259 shares during the period. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 50.5% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 212,285 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $37,025,000 after purchasing an additional 71,195 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in Badger Meter by 212.9% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Clearwave Capital LLC bought a new position in Badger Meter during the fourth quarter worth about $271,000. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Badger Meter Stock Down 16.5%

The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $153.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $167.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.90.

Badger Meter Company Profile

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.