Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the ten analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $218.25.

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $229.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Badger Meter from $240.00 to $235.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of Badger Meter from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $208.00 to $215.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. Robert W. Baird set a $205.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Friday, December 12th. They set a “buy” rating and a $220.00 price objective for the company.

Badger Meter Price Performance

BMI opened at $169.51 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $176.48 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $184.88. The firm has a market cap of $5.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.07, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 0.91. Badger Meter has a 1-year low of $162.17 and a 1-year high of $256.08.

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

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 21st were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. Badger Meter’s payout ratio is presently 34.04%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Badger Meter

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BMI. Caitlin John LLC bought a new position in Badger Meter during the third quarter valued at $31,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 62.3% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in Badger Meter in the third quarter worth about $38,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. increased its stake in Badger Meter by 170.5% during the second quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in Badger Meter during the third quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Institutional investors own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

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.