Candriam S.C.A. Cuts Stake in Badger Meter, Inc. $BMI

Candriam S.C.A. reduced its position in shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) by 11.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor 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.’s holdings in Badger Meter were worth $6,403,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS acquired a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,447,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Badger Meter by 6.8% during the first quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC now owns 11,695 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,782,000 after buying an additional 749 shares during the last quarter. Granite Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Badger Meter in the 1st quarter valued at $9,303,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. grew its holdings in Badger Meter by 32.3% in the 1st quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 7,793 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,187,000 after buying an additional 1,902 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Personal CFO Solutions LLC increased its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 20.7% in the 1st quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 1,398 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $213,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on BMI. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Badger Meter from $110.00 to $109.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Badger Meter from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 13th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Badger Meter from $173.00 to $145.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Maxim Group cut shares of Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $155.71.

Insider Transactions at Badger Meter

In other news, VP Christina M. Tarantino acquired 870 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $113.80 per share, with a total value of $99,006.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the vice president owned 1,801 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $204,953.80. The trade was a 93.45% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Richard Htwe acquired 1,700 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $116.13 per share, for a total transaction of $197,421.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 7,603 shares in the company, valued at $882,936.39. The trade was a 28.80% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders acquired 6,628 shares of company stock worth $777,128. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Key Badger Meter News

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

Badger Meter Stock Down 2.8%

Badger Meter stock opened at $140.13 on Tuesday. Badger Meter, Inc. has a 52-week low of $112.09 and a 52-week high of $249.56. The firm has a market cap of $4.09 billion, a PE ratio of 31.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.58 and a beta of 0.64. The company’s 50 day moving average is $130.62 and its two-hundred day moving average is $146.21.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 14.56%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. Badger Meter’s payout ratio is presently 36.12%.

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.