Jefferies Financial Group Cuts Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Price Target to $200.00

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) had its target price cut by Jefferies Financial Group from $220.00 to $200.00 in a research note published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on BMI. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Badger Meter from $232.00 to $190.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Barclays set a $136.00 price target on Badger Meter and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $191.00 price objective (down from $229.00) on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus set a $166.00 target price on shares of Badger Meter and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $167.00 target price on shares of Badger Meter in a research report on Thursday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Badger Meter presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $188.89.

Badger Meter Trading Up 1.8%

Shares of Badger Meter stock opened at $147.01 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $174.76 and a two-hundred day moving average of $181.57. Badger Meter has a 12-month low of $139.14 and a 12-month high of $256.08. The stock has a market cap of $4.33 billion, a PE ratio of 30.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 0.91.

Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.15 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $220.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $232.30 million. Badger Meter had a return on equity of 20.71% and a net margin of 15.45%.Badger Meter’s revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.04 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Badger Meter will post 4.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Badger Meter Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Investors of record on Friday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.33%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Badger Meter

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Badger Meter during the fourth quarter worth about $227,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in Badger Meter by 328.0% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,766 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $717,000 after acquiring an additional 2,886 shares during the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust purchased a new stake in Badger Meter in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $202,000. Truist Financial Corp raised its holdings in Badger Meter by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 24,784 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $6,071,000 after acquiring an additional 1,088 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Consolidated Planning Corp raised its holdings in Badger Meter by 11.5% in the 2nd quarter. Consolidated Planning Corp now owns 7,084 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $1,735,000 after acquiring an additional 729 shares during the last quarter. 89.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Badger Meter

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

• Positive Sentiment: Institutional buying and valuation argument — Large institutional accumulation and the stock’s 40% decline from highs have pushed some investors to call BMI “deep-value,” highlighting steady free cash flow, dividend support and buybacks that underpin upside potential. MarketBeat: Institutions Buying
• Positive Sentiment: New contract win in Puerto Rico emphasizes smart-water SaaS traction — The Puerto Rico deal reinforces demand for Badger Meter’s smart water offerings and supports recurring revenue arguments used by bulls. Yahoo Finance: Puerto Rico Win
• Neutral Sentiment: Options-market activity shows elevated trader interest — Recent options flows signal speculators are positioning for a move (direction ambiguous), which can amplify intraday volatility and attract short-term volume. Zacks: Options Market
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results disappointed on revenue and slightly missed EPS — Q4 revenue came in below consensus despite 7.6% sales growth; the mixed print prompted an initial sell-off and raised short-term growth/forecast scrutiny. Zacks: Q4 Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts trimmed price targets after the quarter — Jefferies lowered its target to $200 (still a Buy) and JPMorgan cut to $190 (still Overweight). Those reductions temper near-term upside expectations even as both firms remain constructive. Benzinga / TickerReport: Analyst Price Target Changes

Badger Meter Company Profile

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.