Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Given New $203.00 Price Target at Robert W. Baird

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) had its target price raised by Robert W. Baird from $184.00 to $203.00 in a research report report published on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a neutral rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

BMI has been the subject of several other reports. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on Badger Meter from $189.00 to $203.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Maxim Group boosted their price objective on Badger Meter from $216.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Argus boosted their price objective on Badger Meter from $204.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Badger Meter has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $214.75.

Badger Meter Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BMI opened at $207.66 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.10 billion, a PE ratio of 59.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.77. Badger Meter has a one year low of $134.06 and a one year high of $230.76. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $209.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $194.81.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.11 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $208.44 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $212.08 million. Badger Meter had a net margin of 14.44% and a return on equity of 21.42%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.88 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Badger Meter will post 4.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 23rd were issued a $0.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 23rd. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.65%. This is a boost from Badger Meter’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio is currently 39.19%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Badger Meter

In other Badger Meter news, VP Kimberly K. Stoll sold 1,097 shares of the company’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 transaction, the vice president now owns 3,861 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $791,505. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 1,016.7% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 201 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 2,633.3% in the first quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 492 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $80,000 after acquiring an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 40.9% in the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 575 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $107,000 after acquiring an additional 167 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Annex Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Badger Meter in the third quarter worth $204,000. Institutional investors own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Badger Meter Company Profile

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.