Principal Financial Group Inc. Grows Stake in Mueller Water Products $MWA

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) by 1.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,262,684 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after purchasing an additional 37,148 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 2.09% of Mueller Water Products worth $77,717,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 25.3% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 153,043 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $3,890,000 after buying an additional 30,862 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products by 87.2% in 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 position in shares of Mueller Water Products during the first quarter worth $205,000. United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in Mueller Water Products during the first quarter valued at $212,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake 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 valued at $14,558,000 after acquiring an additional 56,404 shares in the last quarter. 91.68% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on MWA shares. Robert W. Baird set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Friday, February 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Mueller Water Products from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $32.00 price objective (up from $30.00) on shares of Mueller Water Products in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $29.00 price objective on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $31.25.

Insider Buying and Selling at Mueller Water Products

In related news, SVP Todd P. Helms sold 10,720 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack purchased 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 25,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $739,500. The trade was a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Mueller Water Products Stock Performance

Mueller Water Products stock opened at $26.91 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $28.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $26.65. The company has a quick ratio of 2.55, a current ratio of 4.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The company has a market cap of $4.21 billion, a PE ratio of 20.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.08. Mueller Water Products has a twelve month low of $22.74 and a twelve month high of $31.00.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 22.11% and a net margin of 14.17%.The company had revenue of $1.19 billion during the quarter. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Mueller Water Products will post 1.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Mueller Water Products Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 20th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th will be given a dividend of $0.07 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 11th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Mueller Water Products’s payout ratio is currently 21.37%.

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.