Robert W. Baird Cuts Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Price Target to $145.00

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) had its target price cut by Robert W. Baird from $173.00 to $145.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

Several other research firms have also recently commented on BMI. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Badger Meter from $220.00 to $200.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $174.00 price target on Badger Meter and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $191.00 price target (down from $229.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $167.00 price target on shares of Badger Meter in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Badger Meter from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, April 3rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $166.38.

Badger Meter Trading Up 1.7%

Shares of BMI stock opened at $122.97 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $150.33 and a 200 day moving average price of $166.23. Badger Meter has a twelve month low of $112.09 and a twelve month high of $256.08. The company has a market capitalization 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter. The company had revenue of $220.71 million during the quarter. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 14.56%. As a group, research analysts predict that Badger Meter will post 4.66 earnings per share for the current year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Badger Meter’s payout ratio is presently 36.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Badger Meter

In other news, VP Fred J. Begale sold 2,064 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total transaction of $309,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 3,040 shares in the company, valued at approximately $456,000. The trade was a 40.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Edward F. Callahan bought 858 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were purchased at an average price of $116.30 per share, with a total value of $99,785.40. Following the acquisition, the vice president directly owned 1,186 shares in the company, valued at approximately $137,931.80. This trade represents a 261.59% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have bought 10,578 shares of company stock worth $1,409,142 and have sold 3,989 shares worth $596,002. Company insiders own 1.00% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Badger Meter

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in Badger Meter in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings 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 worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Badger Meter in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in Badger Meter in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its holdings in Badger Meter by 62.3% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 185 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Badger Meter News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Significant insider purchases: CEO Kenneth Bockhorst bought 2,200 shares (~$117.53 avg) and several VPs (Richard Htwe, Christina Tarantino, Edward Callahan) also added stock, signaling management confidence and providing a near‑term positive catalyst. Read More. Read More. Read More. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company commentary and presentation attribute the Q1 shortfall mainly to project timing and one‑quarter execution factors — useful context that moderates but does not erase near‑term concerns. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 results missed expectations and several analysts have revised models lower — the earnings miss is a primary near‑term negative catalyst as lowered estimates can pressure the stock. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple broker notes trimmed price targets or ratings (Barclays reiterated a sell/underweight with a $110 target; RBC, Stifel, Robert W. Baird cut forecasts), increasing downside risk from weaker analyst sentiment. Read More. Read More. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Investor‑loss litigation alerts (Pomerantz and others) introduce headline and legal risk that could weigh on sentiment until resolved. Read More.

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.