Robert W. Baird Lowers Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Price Target to $216.00

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) had its target price reduced by investment analysts at Robert W. Baird from $218.00 to $216.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "neutral" rating on the scientific and technical instruments company's stock. Robert W. Baird's target price indicates a potential upside of 2.79% from the stock's previous close.

BMI has been the topic of several other research reports. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Badger Meter from $209.00 to $196.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Royal Bank of Canada assumed coverage on Badger Meter in a report on Thursday, March 27th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $251.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Maxim Group upped their price objective on Badger Meter from $235.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $225.40.

Badger Meter Price Performance

Shares of Badger Meter stock traded up $1.60 during trading on Monday, hitting $210.13. 489,120 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 203,183. Badger Meter has a 1 year low of $162.17 and a 1 year high of $239.11. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $197.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $209.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.68, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.84.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.30 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.22. Badger Meter had a net margin of 15.12% and a return on equity of 21.77%. The business had revenue of $222.21 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $220.39 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.99 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Badger Meter will post 4.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Badger Meter

In related news, VP William R. A. Bergum sold 2,416 shares of Badger Meter stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.33, for a total value of $508,157.28. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 14,199 shares in the company, valued at $2,986,475.67. This trade represents a 14.54 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Kenneth Bockhorst sold 1,165 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $212.13, for a total transaction of $247,131.45. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 52,620 shares in the company, valued at $11,162,280.60. The trade was a 2.17 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 20,949 shares of company stock valued at $4,398,407. Corporate insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Badger Meter in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Badger Meter in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in Badger Meter by 162.5% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 147 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 100.0% during the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 184 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 2,457.1% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 179 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the period. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Badger Meter Company Profile

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.