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

Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday after the company announced weaker than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as low as $120.41 and last traded at $124.6550, with a volume of 464175 shares trading hands. 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 net margin of 15.45% and a return on equity of 20.71%. The company had revenue of $220.71 million for the quarter.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio is presently 33.33%.

Badger Meter News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Badger Meter this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Signed definitive agreement to acquire UDlive, a UK sewer-line monitoring hardware+software provider for ~$100M (plus contingent consideration) — expands Badger Meter’s footprint in a fast-growing smart infrastructure niche and diversifies recurring-data offerings. Badger Meter to Expand Leadership Position in Global Sewer Line Monitoring with Acquisition of UDlive
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan cut its price target from $190 to $160 but kept an “overweight” rating — the note signals continued analyst conviction that the company has material upside from depressed levels. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q1 earnings call transcript is available for investors who want management’s explanations on project timing, regional trends (including Puerto Rico), and margin dynamics. Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre-earnings previews and coverage (Investing.com, Yahoo Finance, Seeking Alpha) set expectations that were not met — useful background but not market-moving after results. Badger Meter earnings up next: Can Puerto Rico revive growth?
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative/industry coverage (head-to-head surveys) — background for investors assessing competitive positioning rather than immediate catalysts. Electro-Sensors & Badger Meter Head-To-Head Survey
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 results missed estimates: EPS $0.93 vs. consensus ~ $1.2; revenue $202.3M vs. est. ~$232M. Operating margin and EPS declined year-over-year — the core reason for the sell-off. Badger Meter Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Shares plunged and hit a 52-week low after the release as investors reacted to the miss and management’s remarks on project timing. Elevated volume reflects forced/urgent selling. Badger Meter Stock Sinks To 52-Week Low – Here’s Why
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage from Zacks and Motley Fool highlights the earnings and revenue shortfall and frames the move as a substantive near-term negative (though some pieces argue against panic). Badger Meter (BMI) Lags Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $190.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $174.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Argus downgraded Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $167.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised Badger Meter from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $165.00 to $173.00 in a report on Monday, March 30th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $180.13.

Insider Activity

In other Badger Meter news, VP Fred J. Begale sold 2,064 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $309,600.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,040 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $456,000. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Kenneth Bockhorst acquired 3,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $152.42 per share, for a total transaction of $502,986.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 40,013 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,098,781.46. This trade represents a 8.99% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 3,989 shares of company stock worth $596,002 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Badger Meter

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Badger Meter by 27.3% in the third quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in Badger Meter by 76.5% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in Badger Meter by 15.5% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 521 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its holdings in Badger Meter by 62.3% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cardinal Capital Management lifted its holdings in Badger Meter by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Cardinal Capital Management now owns 20,165 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $3,517,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Badger Meter Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $3.38 billion, a PE ratio of 24.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.90. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $152.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $167.57.

About Badger Meter

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.