Mueller Water Products $MWA Shares Purchased by Janus Henderson Group PLC

Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its position in Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA) by 58.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,934,813 shares of the industrial products company’s stock after acquiring an additional 714,913 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC’s holdings in Mueller Water Products were worth $53,217,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of Mueller Water Products by 25.3% in 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 purchasing an additional 30,862 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 worth $3,113,000 after purchasing an additional 57,053 shares in the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC acquired 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 in the first quarter valued at $212,000. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in Mueller Water Products by 10.9% in 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 buying an additional 56,404 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.68% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Brian C. Healy acquired 1,183 shares of Mueller Water Products stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 7th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $25.33 per share, for a total transaction of $29,965.39. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 24,946 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Mueller Water Products Trading Up 1.4%

NYSE:MWA opened at $25.30 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 4.57, a quick ratio of 2.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firm has a market cap of $3.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.31, a PEG ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.03. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $25.43 and its 200-day simple moving average is $27.00. Mueller Water Products has a 12-month low of $22.74 and a 12-month high of $31.00.

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 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%. Equities analysts anticipate that Mueller Water Products will post 1.47 EPS for the current year.

Mueller Water Products Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 10th will be given 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 is presently 21.37%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.