Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Upgraded by Zacks Research to Hold Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on BMI. Barclays set a $110.00 target price on shares of Badger Meter and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, April 20th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $140.00 target price on shares of Badger Meter in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Badger Meter from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, June 13th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Badger Meter from $173.00 to $145.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Badger Meter from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $155.86.

Badger Meter Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BMI opened at $147.10 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $4.29 billion, a PE ratio of 33.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 0.64. Badger Meter has a 1 year low of $112.09 and a 1 year high of $249.56. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $128.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $147.30.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business 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%. On average, research analysts expect that Badger Meter will post 4.51 EPS for the current year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 22nd. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Badger Meter’s payout ratio is 36.12%.

Insider Transactions at Badger Meter

In other news, VP Edward F. Callahan purchased 858 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $116.30 per share, for a total transaction of $99,785.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 1,186 shares in the company, valued at $137,931.80. This represents a 261.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Robert Wrocklage acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $122.35 per share, with a total value of $122,350.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 23,321 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,853,324.35. This trade represents a 4.48% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have acquired 6,628 shares of company stock valued at $777,128. 1.00% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Badger Meter

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. N.E.W. Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in Badger Meter during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 76.5% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 150 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Godfrey Financial Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Badger Meter during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. 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 buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Advocates LLC purchased a new stake in Badger Meter during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. 89.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Badger Meter News Roundup

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

• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms, including Rosen, Pomerantz, Faruqi & Faruqi, Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter, Bernstein Liebhard, Bronstein Gewirtz & Grossman, Levi & Korsinsky, and Schall, announced or reminded investors about a securities class action against Badger Meter, with a lead plaintiff deadline of August 3, 2026. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuit alleges Badger Meter executives misled investors about short-cycle demand variability, suggesting possible securities-law violations and contributing to downside sentiment for BMI. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Badger Meter also appeared in a prior market note saying the stock had recently outperformed the broader market, but that earlier strength is now being overshadowed by the litigation headlines. Article Title

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.