Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) has received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the five research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $30.00.

MWA has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Mueller Water Products from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research note on Tuesday, May 19th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of 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. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. They set an “underweight” rating and a $25.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $29.00 target price on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th.

Mueller Water Products Trading Up 0.7%

MWA opened at $25.06 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.92, a current ratio of 4.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. Mueller Water Products has a 52 week low of $22.74 and a 52 week high of $31.00. The stock has a market cap of $3.92 billion, a PE ratio of 19.13, a PEG ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.03. The business has a 50 day moving average of $25.43 and a 200-day moving average of $26.98.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $2.16 earnings per share for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.19 billion for the quarter. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 22.11% and a net margin of 14.17%. Equities research analysts predict that Mueller Water Products will post 1.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mueller Water Products Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Mueller Water Products’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.37%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Brian C. Healy acquired 1,183 shares of Mueller Water Products stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $25.33 per share, with a total value of $29,965.39. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 24,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $631,882.18. This represents a 4.98% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Mueller Water Products

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MWA. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Mueller Water Products during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Danske Bank A S boosted its stake in Mueller Water Products by 266.7% in the 4th quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 1,100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its position in Mueller Water Products by 47.0% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,323 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 423 shares during the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Mueller Water Products during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake 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 valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares in the last quarter. 91.68% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mueller Water Products Company 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.