Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) Hits New 12-Month High Following Insider Buying Activity

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) shares reached a new 52-week high on Friday after an insider bought additional shares in the company. The stock traded as high as $30.98 and last traded at $30.2060, with a volume of 15632 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $30.12.

Specifically, Director Gregg C. Sengstack bought 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $29.58 per share, with a total value of $739,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,000 shares in the company, valued at $739,500. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 price objective on Mueller Water Products in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $32.00 target price (up from $30.00) on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on shares of Mueller Water Products from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $31.33.

Mueller Water Products Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $4.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 4.02. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $27.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.88.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.27 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $318.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $315.26 million. Mueller Water Products had a net margin of 13.83% and a return on equity of 22.34%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. Analysts forecast that Mueller Water Products will post 1.24 earnings per share for the current year.

Mueller Water Products Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $0.07 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Mueller Water Products’s payout ratio is currently 22.22%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Mueller Water Products

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in MWA. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System grew its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 22,808 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $543,000 after buying an additional 339 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Mueller Water Products by 47.0% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,323 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 423 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 44.8% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,517 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 469 shares in the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 35,732 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $851,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 4.5% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 11,672 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $278,000 after purchasing an additional 503 shares in the last quarter. 91.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Mueller Water Products Company Profile

Mueller Water Products, Inc is a leading provider of water infrastructure and flow control products and services designed to help water utilities and municipalities manage, control and measure their water distribution systems. The company’s portfolio includes a comprehensive range of products such as fire hydrants, valves, pipe repair systems, fittings and couplings, along with advanced metering and monitoring solutions. By combining traditional mechanical components with digital technologies, Mueller Water Products addresses the critical need for reliable and sustainable water distribution across North America.

The company’s operations are organized around two primary business segments.