Principal Financial Group Inc. Purchases 37,148 Shares of Mueller Water Products $MWA

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor 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.’s holdings in Mueller Water Products were worth $77,717,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Danske Bank A S lifted its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 266.7% during the 4th quarter. Danske Bank A S now owns 1,100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 800 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its position in Mueller Water Products by 131.8% in the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,050 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 597 shares during the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Mueller Water Products in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Quarry LP increased its stake in Mueller Water Products by 398.0% in the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 2,196 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 1,755 shares during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Mueller Water Products by 31.0% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,427 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 575 shares during the last quarter. 91.68% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Mueller Water Products Price Performance

NYSE MWA opened at $26.91 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $4.21 billion, a PE ratio of 20.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.08. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $28.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $26.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a quick ratio of 2.55 and a current ratio of 4.57. Mueller Water Products has a 52-week low of $22.74 and a 52-week high of $31.00.

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

Mueller Water Products Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other 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 completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Gregg C. Sengstack acquired 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 25th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $29.58 per share, with a total value of $739,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 25,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $739,500. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

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.