Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Price Target Raised to $203.00 at Stifel Nicolaus

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) had its price target raised by Stifel Nicolaus from $189.00 to $203.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a hold rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

BMI has been the subject of several other research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Badger Meter from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of Badger Meter from $180.00 to $184.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, July 22nd. Finally, Argus boosted their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $204.00 to $218.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $214.75.

Badger Meter Trading Up 0.8 %

Shares of BMI stock opened at $207.66 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $209.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $195.07. Badger Meter has a 12 month low of $134.06 and a 12 month high of $230.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.10 billion, a PE ratio of 59.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.07 and a beta of 0.77.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.11 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $208.44 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $212.08 million. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 21.42% and a net margin of 14.44%. The company’s revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.88 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Badger Meter will post 4.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.34 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, August 23rd. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.65%. This is a positive change from Badger Meter’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.19%.

Insider Activity at Badger Meter

In other Badger Meter news, VP Kimberly K. Stoll sold 1,097 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.00, for a total value of $224,885.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 3,861 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $791,505. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.80% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Badger Meter

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Badger Meter by 1,016.7% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 201 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Badger Meter by 2,633.3% during the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 492 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 474 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Badger Meter by 46.3% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 499 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $93,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares during the period. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Badger Meter by 40.9% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 575 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $107,000 after buying an additional 167 shares during the period. Finally, Annex Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the third quarter worth about $204,000. Institutional investors own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

About Badger Meter

Badger Meter, Inc manufactures and markets flow measurement, quality, control, and communication solutions worldwide. It offers mechanical or static water meters, and related radio and software technologies and services to municipal water utilities market. The company also provides flow instrumentation products, including meters, valves, and other sensing instruments to measure and control fluids going through a pipe or pipeline, including water, air, steam, and other liquids and gases to original equipment manufacturers as the primary flow measurement device within a product or system, as well as through manufacturers' representatives.