Mueller Water Products $MWA Stake Reduced by Assenagon Asset Management S.A.

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lessened its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) by 33.2% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 563,164 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after selling 280,108 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Mueller Water Products were worth $15,481,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Danske Bank A S boosted its stake in Mueller Water Products by 266.7% during the fourth quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 1,100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Strive Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Mueller Water Products in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Mueller Water Products by 47.0% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,323 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 423 shares during the period. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Mueller Water Products in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in Mueller Water Products by 44.8% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,517 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares in the last quarter. 91.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Mueller Water Products

In related news, Director Brian C. Healy acquired 1,166 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 15th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $25.75 per share, with a total value of $30,024.50. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 23,763 shares in the company, valued at approximately $611,897.25. This trade represents a 5.16% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Mueller Water Products Stock Down 0.9%

MWA opened at $26.74 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $26.29 and a 200-day moving average of $26.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.41, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 4.57, a quick ratio of 2.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Mueller Water Products has a 1-year low of $22.74 and a 1-year high of $31.00.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $2.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.19 billion during the quarter. Mueller Water Products had a net margin of 14.17% and a return on equity of 22.11%. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Mueller Water Products will post 1.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Mueller Water Products Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Mueller Water Products’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.37%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on Mueller Water Products from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $29.00 price objective on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $31.25.

Mueller Water Products Profile

Mueller Water Products, Inc is a leading provider of water infrastructure and flow control products and services designed to help water utilities and municipalities manage, control and measure their water distribution systems. The company’s portfolio includes a comprehensive range of products such as fire hydrants, valves, pipe repair systems, fittings and couplings, along with advanced metering and monitoring solutions. By combining traditional mechanical components with digital technologies, Mueller Water Products addresses the critical need for reliable and sustainable water distribution across North America.

The company’s operations are organized around two primary business segments.