Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) Short Interest Update

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totaling 3,209,368 shares, a decrease of 18.2% from the March 15th total of 3,923,798 shares. Approximately 2.1% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,216,054 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.6 days.

Mueller Water Products Trading Up 2.4%

Shares of NYSE MWA traded up $0.69 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $29.19. The stock had a trading volume of 4,611,902 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,067,298. The company has a current ratio of 4.02, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44. The firm has a market cap of $4.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.31 and a beta of 1.16. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $28.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.44. Mueller Water Products has a 52-week low of $22.74 and a 52-week high of $31.00.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.27 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $318.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $315.26 million. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 22.34% and a net margin of 13.83%.Mueller Water Products’s quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.25 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Mueller Water Products will post 1.24 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mueller Water Products Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 10th were issued a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 10th. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Mueller Water Products’s payout ratio is presently 22.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Todd P. Helms sold 10,720 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.61, for a total transaction of $295,979.20. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 64,477 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,780,209.97. This represents a 14.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack bought 25,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $29.58 per share, for a total transaction of $739,500.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 25,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $739,500. The trade was a ? increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Mueller Water Products

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System boosted its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 22,808 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $543,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 47.0% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,323 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 423 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 44.8% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,517 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 469 shares during the period. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund lifted its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 35,732 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $851,000 after buying an additional 500 shares during the period. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 4.5% during the fourth quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 11,672 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $278,000 after buying an additional 503 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.68% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $32.00 target price (up from $30.00) on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 target price on Mueller Water Products in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price target on Mueller Water Products from $27.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $31.33.

About Mueller Water Products

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.