Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Sets New 52-Week High at $219.85

Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $219.85 and last traded at $219.85, with a volume of 7381 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $217.07.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BMI has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $180.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Badger Meter from $175.00 to $192.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. Finally, Argus lifted their target price on shares of Badger Meter from $204.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Badger Meter presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $184.20.

Badger Meter Trading Up 0.1 %

The company’s 50 day moving average is $200.70 and its 200-day moving average is $186.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.77, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 0.77.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 19th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.03 by $0.09. Badger Meter had a net margin of 14.44% and a return on equity of 21.42%. The company had revenue of $216.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $203.39 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.76 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Badger Meter, Inc. will post 4.06 EPS for the current year.

Badger Meter Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Friday, August 23rd were given a dividend of $0.34 per share. This is a boost from Badger Meter’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 23rd. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.63%. Badger Meter’s payout ratio is presently 39.19%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Badger Meter news, VP Kimberly K. Stoll sold 1,097 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.00, for a total value of $224,885.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 3,861 shares in the company, valued at $791,505. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Badger Meter

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BMI. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in Badger Meter by 2,633.3% during the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 492 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $80,000 after buying an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Badger Meter by 46.3% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 499 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its stake in Badger Meter by 40.9% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 575 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $107,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC boosted its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 9.8% in the 1st quarter. SYSTM Wealth Solutions LLC now owns 615 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $100,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TFO Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 91,500.0% in the fourth quarter. TFO Wealth Partners LLC now owns 916 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $154,000 after acquiring an additional 915 shares during the period. 89.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Badger Meter

Badger Meter, Inc manufactures and markets flow measurement, quality, control, and communication solutions worldwide. It offers mechanical or static water meters, and related radio and software technologies and services to municipal water utilities market. The company also provides flow instrumentation products, including meters, valves, and other sensing instruments to measure and control fluids going through a pipe or pipeline, including water, air, steam, and other liquids and gases to original equipment manufacturers as the primary flow measurement device within a product or system, as well as through manufacturers' representatives.