254,423 Shares in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI Bought by Bamco Inc. NY

Bamco Inc. NY acquired a new stake in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 254,423 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock, valued at approximately $45,435,000. Bamco Inc. NY owned about 0.86% of Badger Meter at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of BMI. Journey Strategic Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 4.6% in the second quarter. Journey Strategic Wealth LLC now owns 1,296 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $317,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 27.3% during the third quarter. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. now owns 266 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares during the period. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised 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 worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT raised its holdings in Badger Meter by 2.4% during the third quarter. Alliance Wealth Advisors LLC UT now owns 3,589 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $641,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB lifted its position in Badger Meter by 0.9% in the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 9,834 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $2,409,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Badger Meter Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of Badger Meter stock opened at $146.55 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $158.54 and a two-hundred day moving average of $172.21. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 12-month low of $139.14 and a 12-month high of $256.08. The stock has a market cap of $4.28 billion, a PE ratio of 30.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.87.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.15 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $220.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $232.30 million. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 20.71% and a net margin of 15.45%.Badger Meter’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.04 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Badger Meter’s payout ratio is currently 33.33%.

Insider Transactions at Badger Meter

In other news, VP Kimberly K. Stoll sold 1,634 shares of the firm’s 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 completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 3,256 shares in the company, valued at $485,176.56. This trade represents a 33.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Kenneth Bockhorst purchased 3,300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $152.42 per share, with a total value of $502,986.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 40,013 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,098,781.46. The trade was a 8.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 3,989 shares of company stock valued at $596,002 in the last three months. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on BMI. Robert W. Baird set a $165.00 price objective on Badger Meter in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Argus downgraded Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Zacks Research cut Badger Meter from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Four research 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’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Badger Meter currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target 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.