Mueller Water Products $MWA Stake Lifted by Wesbanco Bank Inc.

Wesbanco Bank Inc. increased its stake in Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) by 38.1% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 79,751 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 22,000 shares during the period. Wesbanco Bank Inc. owned approximately 0.05% of Mueller Water Products worth $1,900,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MWA. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 25.3% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 153,043 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,890,000 after buying an additional 30,862 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 87.2% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 122,472 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,113,000 after buying an additional 57,053 shares in the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Mueller Water Products during the first quarter worth approximately $205,000. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in Mueller Water Products during the first quarter worth approximately $212,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 10.9% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 572,686 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $14,558,000 after buying an additional 56,404 shares in the last quarter. 91.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Mueller Water Products

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

Mueller Water Products Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of NYSE:MWA opened at $26.38 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 4.57. The company has a market cap of $4.13 billion, a PE ratio of 20.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.08. Mueller Water Products has a 52 week low of $22.74 and a 52 week high of $31.00. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $28.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $26.65.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $1.19 billion during the quarter. Mueller Water Products had a net margin of 14.17% and a return on equity of 22.11%. As a group, research analysts expect that Mueller Water Products will post 1.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Mueller Water Products Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MWA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 target price on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Friday, February 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and set a $29.00 target price on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on shares of Mueller Water Products from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $32.00 target price (up from $30.00) on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Monday, February 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Mueller Water Products presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $31.25.

Mueller Water Products 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.