Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Maxim Group

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) was downgraded by Maxim Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on BMI. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on Badger Meter from $197.00 to $169.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on Badger Meter from $174.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $167.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on shares of Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $166.38.

Badger Meter Stock Up 1.7%

Shares of BMI opened at $122.97 on Thursday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $150.33 and its two-hundred day moving average is $166.23. Badger Meter has a 52-week low of $112.09 and a 52-week high of $256.08. The firm has a market cap of $3.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.76, a PEG ratio of 2.10 and a beta of 0.90.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter. Badger Meter had a net margin of 14.56% and a return on equity of 18.76%. On average, equities analysts expect that Badger Meter will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Kimberly K. Stoll sold 1,634 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.01, for a total value of $243,482.34. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,256 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $485,176.56. This trade represents a 33.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Fred J. Begale sold 2,064 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $309,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 3,040 shares in the company, valued at $456,000. This trade represents a 40.44% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 10,578 shares of company stock worth $1,409,142 and have sold 3,989 shares worth $596,002. Insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Badger Meter

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. River Street Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Badger Meter by 12.2% during the 1st quarter. River Street Advisors LLC now owns 6,040 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $920,000 after acquiring an additional 655 shares in the last quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new position in Badger Meter in the 1st quarter valued at $1,996,000. Norway Savings Bank lifted its position in Badger Meter by 33.5% during the 1st quarter. Norway Savings Bank now owns 3,544 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $540,000 after buying an additional 889 shares in the last quarter. OP Asset Management Ltd acquired a new position in Badger Meter during the 1st quarter worth $654,000. Finally, Values First Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Badger Meter by 1.3% in the first quarter. Values First Advisors Inc. now owns 7,216 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,099,000 after acquiring an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Badger Meter

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

• Positive Sentiment: Several senior insiders made sizeable purchases (CEO Kenneth Bockhorst bought 2,200 shares at ~ $117.53; multiple VPs added shares), a signal of management confidence that can support the stock over time. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company commentary and the Q1 presentation attribute the shortfall mainly to project timing and one‑quarter execution issues, which tempers but does not eliminate investor concerns about the quarter. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Badger missed Q1 estimates (revenue and EPS softer than expected), prompting analysts to revise models downward — the earnings miss is the primary near‑term negative catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple broker notes cut price targets and trimmed forecasts (Barclays reiterated a sell/underweight; RBC, Stifel, Robert W. Baird and others lowered expectations), increasing downside risk from weaker analyst sentiment. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Investor‑loss litigation alerts (Pomerantz LLP and others) introduce legal/headline risk that could prolong selling pressure until matters are resolved. Read More.

Badger Meter Company Profile

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.