Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI) to Issue Quarterly Dividend of $0.40 on March 13th

Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, February 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of 0.40 per share by the scientific and technical instruments company on Friday, March 13th. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th.

Badger Meter has increased its dividend by an average of 0.2%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 32 years. Badger Meter has a payout ratio of 29.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect Badger Meter to earn $5.38 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.60 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 29.7%.

Badger Meter Stock Down 0.4%

BMI traded down $0.66 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $157.69. The company had a trading volume of 127,181 shares, compared to its average volume of 427,230. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $166.41 and a 200-day simple moving average of $175.74. The stock has a market cap of $4.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.85, a PEG ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 0.90. Badger Meter has a 52 week low of $139.14 and a 52 week high of $256.08.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.15 by ($0.01). Badger Meter had a net margin of 15.45% and a return on equity of 20.71%. The firm had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $232.30 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.04 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Badger Meter will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Badger Meter

In related news, CEO Kenneth Bockhorst bought 3,300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $152.42 per share, for a total transaction of $502,986.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 40,013 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,098,781.46. This trade represents a 8.99% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Robert Wrocklage purchased 1,650 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $152.35 per share, with a total value of $251,377.50. Following the acquisition, the executive vice president owned 19,541 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,977,071.35. The trade was a 9.22% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 0.90% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Badger Meter

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Badger Meter in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in Badger Meter by 76.5% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Badger Meter during the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Caitlin John LLC acquired a new stake in Badger Meter during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of 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 valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

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.