Entropy Technologies LP Grows Stock Holdings in Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA)

Entropy Technologies LP increased its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA) by 173.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 26,949 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,091 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP’s holdings in Mueller Water Products were worth $606,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new stake in Mueller Water Products during the 3rd quarter worth about $26,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Mueller Water Products in the fourth quarter worth about $100,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 434.6% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 4,892 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $106,000 after acquiring an additional 3,977 shares during the period. TD Private Client Wealth LLC raised its position in Mueller Water Products by 468.1% during the third quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 5,408 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $117,000 after acquiring an additional 4,456 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in Mueller Water Products in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $146,000. 91.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Todd P. Helms sold 3,556 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.02, for a total value of $88,971.12. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 38,683 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $967,848.66. This trade represents a 8.42 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Lydia W. Thomas sold 10,791 shares of Mueller Water Products stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $24.40, for a total value of $263,300.40. Following the transaction, the director now owns 136,405 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,328,282. The trade was a 7.33 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 98,433 shares of company stock worth $2,494,144. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Mueller Water Products from $25.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Mueller Water Products from $26.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. StockNews.com cut shares of Mueller Water Products from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $27.00 target price (up from $26.00) on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $25.80.

Mueller Water Products Stock Performance

NYSE:MWA opened at $26.82 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 2.16 and a current ratio of 3.83. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.20 billion, a PE ratio of 31.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.38. Mueller Water Products, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $14.81 and a fifty-two week high of $28.25. The company has a fifty day moving average of $23.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $22.47.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.19 by $0.06. Mueller Water Products had a net margin of 10.05% and a return on equity of 21.18%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.13 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that Mueller Water Products, Inc. will post 1.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Mueller Water Products Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 10th will be paid a $0.067 dividend. This represents a $0.27 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 10th. Mueller Water Products’s dividend payout ratio is presently 31.40%.

Mueller Water Products Profile

Mueller Water Products, Inc manufactures and markets products and services for the transmission, distribution, and measurement of water used by municipalities, and the residential and non-residential construction industries in the United States, Israel, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Water Flow Solutions and Water Management Solutions.