Lazard Asset Management LLC Has $4.91 Million Stock Holdings in Mueller Water Products $MWA

Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) by 147.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 178,452 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 106,475 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.11% of Mueller Water Products worth $4,906,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Mueller Water Products by 25.3% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 153,043 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $3,890,000 after purchasing 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 valued at $3,113,000 after purchasing an additional 57,053 shares in the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Mueller Water Products during the first quarter valued at approximately $205,000. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in shares of Mueller Water Products in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 10.9% in the 1st 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 purchasing an additional 56,404 shares during the period. 91.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on MWA shares. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Mueller Water Products from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays began coverage on Mueller Water Products in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut Mueller Water Products from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $29.00 price objective on shares of Mueller Water Products in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Mueller Water Products from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $30.00.

Mueller Water Products Stock Performance

MWA stock opened at $25.30 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $25.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $27.00. Mueller Water Products has a fifty-two week low of $22.74 and a fifty-two week high of $31.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 4.57 and a quick ratio of 2.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.96 billion, a PE ratio of 19.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.03.

Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 21st. The industrial products company reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $1.19 billion for the quarter. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 22.11% and a net margin of 14.17%. Analysts forecast that Mueller Water Products will post 1.47 EPS for the current year.

Mueller Water Products Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Investors of record on Monday, August 10th will be issued a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 10th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Mueller Water Products’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.37%.

Insider Transactions at Mueller Water Products

In other news, Director Brian C. Healy acquired 1,183 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $25.33 per share, for a total transaction of $29,965.39. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 24,946 shares in the company, valued at $631,882.18. This trade represents a 4.98% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.