Alps Advisors Inc. Grows Position in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Alps Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) by 85.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 82,568 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after acquiring an additional 38,160 shares during the period. Alps Advisors Inc. owned about 0.28% of Badger Meter worth $14,745,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. increased its stake in Badger Meter by 170.5% in the 2nd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Badger Meter by 27.3% during the 3rd quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Badger Meter in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Employees Retirement System of Texas purchased a new position in shares of Badger Meter in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $54,000. 89.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Badger Meter Stock Up 3.5%

NYSE BMI opened at $150.96 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $4.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.90. The company’s 50 day moving average is $171.72 and its 200-day moving average is $178.40. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 12-month low of $139.14 and a 12-month high of $256.08.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.15 by ($0.01). Badger Meter had a net margin of 15.45% and a return on equity of 20.71%. The business had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $232.30 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.04 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.65 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $167.00 price objective on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $191.00 target price (down from $229.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $166.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $181.88.

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.