Badger Meter (NYSE:BMI) Stock Price Down 4.2% – Should You Sell?

Shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (NYSE:BMI) fell 4.2% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $212.61 and last traded at $209.79. 40,216 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 76% from the average session volume of 164,742 shares. The stock had previously closed at $219.02.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on BMI shares. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of Badger Meter from $203.00 to $208.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Maxim Group increased their price target on shares of Badger Meter from $216.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Badger Meter from $184.00 to $203.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $216.00.

Badger Meter Stock Down 3.8 %

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $218.20 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $210.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.25, a P/E/G ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.79.

Badger Meter Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd were paid a $0.34 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 22nd. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. Badger Meter’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 33.75%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Badger Meter

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Badger Meter by 1.1% in the third quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 5,312 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $1,165,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 4.5% during the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,635 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $357,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Xponance Inc. increased its stake in shares of Badger Meter by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 1,871 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $349,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp raised its holdings in Badger Meter by 4.6% in the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 2,211 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $483,000 after purchasing an additional 98 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Badger Meter during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.01% of the company’s stock.

Badger Meter Company Profile

Badger Meter, Inc manufactures and markets flow measurement, quality, control, and communication solutions worldwide. It offers mechanical or static water meters, and related radio and software technologies and services to municipal water utilities market. The company also provides flow instrumentation products, including meters, valves, and other sensing instruments to measure and control fluids going through a pipe or pipeline, including water, air, steam, and other liquids and gases to original equipment manufacturers as the primary flow measurement device within a product or system, as well as through manufacturers' representatives.