Candriam S.C.A. Decreases Stock Holdings in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Candriam S.C.A. lessened its stake in Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) by 11.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 42,025 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 5,272 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A. owned approximately 0.14% of Badger Meter worth $6,403,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in BMI. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 76.5% during the 4th 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 buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Badger Meter during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its holdings in 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 worth $33,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in Badger Meter in the 2nd quarter worth $49,000. 89.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Badger Meter

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

• Neutral Sentiment: Badger Meter was the subject of multiple investor-alert and class-action notices, all reminding shareholders of an August 3 lead-plaintiff deadline tied to alleged securities law violations. These updates can weigh on sentiment because they keep litigation risk in focus for investors. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional law firms announced or promoted securities-fraud lawsuits against Badger Meter, reinforcing the overhang from ongoing legal proceedings and possible damages exposure. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays lowered its price target on BMI to $109 from $110 and kept an underweight rating, which signals a cautious view on the stock’s near-term upside. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: A market recap note said BMI fell more than the broader market, reflecting weak trading momentum as investors reacted to the legal headlines and analyst caution. Article Title

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on BMI shares. Barclays decreased their target price on Badger Meter from $110.00 to $109.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Badger Meter from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Badger Meter from $190.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Maxim Group downgraded shares of Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $155.71.

Badger Meter Trading Down 2.8%

Shares of BMI opened at $140.13 on Tuesday. Badger Meter, Inc. has a twelve month low of $112.09 and a twelve month high of $249.56. The company has a market cap of $4.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.64. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $130.62 and its 200-day simple moving average is $146.21.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $220.71 million for the quarter. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 14.56%. Analysts predict that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 5th. Investors of record on Friday, May 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 22nd. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio is 36.12%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Christina M. Tarantino purchased 870 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $113.80 per share, for a total transaction of $99,006.00. Following the purchase, the vice president owned 1,801 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $204,953.80. This trade represents a 93.45% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Richard Htwe purchased 1,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of $116.13 per share, with a total value of $197,421.00. Following the acquisition, the vice president owned 7,603 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $882,936.39. The trade was a 28.80% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders bought a total of 6,628 shares of company stock worth $777,128 over the last ninety days. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.