JPMorgan Chase & Co. Has Lowered Expectations for Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Stock Price

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) had its price objective reduced by research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $190.00 to $160.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 37.57% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and set a $191.00 target price (down from $229.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $174.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Badger Meter from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $165.00 to $173.00 in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Barclays set a $136.00 target price on Badger Meter and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Badger Meter currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $180.13.

Badger Meter Trading Down 23.6%

Badger Meter stock traded down $35.99 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $116.30. The company had a trading volume of 3,141,470 shares, compared to its average volume of 431,214. The company has a market capitalization of $3.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.14, a P/E/G ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 0.90. Badger Meter has a 12-month low of $115.11 and a 12-month high of $256.08. The company’s fifty day moving average is $153.13 and its 200-day moving average is $167.99.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter. Badger Meter had a net margin of 15.45% and a return on equity of 20.71%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Badger Meter will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Kenneth Bockhorst acquired 3,300 shares of Badger Meter stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $152.42 per share, for a total transaction of $502,986.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 40,013 shares in the company, valued at $6,098,781.46. This represents a 8.99% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, VP Kimberly K. Stoll sold 1,634 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $149.01, for a total value of $243,482.34. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 3,256 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $485,176.56. The trade was a 33.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 3,989 shares of company stock worth $596,002. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Badger Meter

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position 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 valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Badger Meter during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new stake in Badger Meter during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in shares of Badger Meter by 62.3% during the third quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Badger Meter

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

• Positive Sentiment: Badger announced a definitive agreement to acquire UK sewer‑monitoring provider UDlive for $100M (plus contingent consideration), funded with cash, to expand its sewer line monitoring presence — a strategic move into a higher‑growth area that could support future organic growth. Badger Meter to Expand Leadership Position in Global Sewer Line Monitoring with Acquisition of UDlive
• Neutral Sentiment: The company filed its Q1 2026 results and supporting materials showing total sales of $202.3M, operating margin compression and EPS of $0.93; the release includes a slide deck and transcript for investors to review management’s detail and near‑term outlook. Badger Meter Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q1 2026 earnings call transcript provides management commentary (project timing, regional dynamics) that investors should read to assess causes of the miss and any guidance or cadence comments. Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 results missed consensus: EPS $0.93 vs. ~$1.20–1.21 expected and revenue $202.3M vs. ~$232M expected — a clear earnings and top‑line shortfall that explains the sharp selling. MarketBeat Q1 Results Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage and headlines emphasize the stock plunge to a new 52‑week low after the earnings miss; Benzinga and other outlets cite CEO comments that attribute part of the weakness to project timing, signaling execution/timing risk. Badger Meter Stock Sinks To 52-Week Low – Here’s Why
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and market commentary (Zacks, Fool) note the year‑over‑year EPS decline and miss vs. estimates, advising caution until management demonstrates stabilization in revenue cadence and margin recovery. Badger Meter (BMI) Lags Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

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.