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Here's Why Badger Meter (BMI) is a Solid Investment Pick Now

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Shares of Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI - Free Report) have surged 59.9% over the past year, driven by improved market demand across its portfolio on the back of a flexible business model and solid cash flow. Earnings estimates for the current and the next fiscal have increased 6.7% and 10.1%, respectively, over the past year, implying robust inherent growth potential. With healthy fundamentals, this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock appears to be a solid investment option at the moment. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Growth Drivers

Headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, Badger Meter provides flow measurement, control and communications solutions, serving water and gas utilities, municipalities and industrial customers worldwide. The company’s products measure water, oil, chemicals and other fluids, and are known for accuracy, long-lasting durability and for providing valuable and timely measurement data. The company offers BEACON advanced metering analytics, a secure cloud-hosted software suite that allows consumer engagement tools that permit end water customers to view and manage their water usage activity. It also provides ORION Migratable for automatic meter reading and ORION Cellular for infrastructure-free fixed network meter reading solution.

With its industry-leading ORION Cellular endpoints, along with communication and software technologies, Badger Meter is focused on creating robust digital solutions to operationalize real-time data into actionable insights. Its BEACON software-as-a-service offering facilitates collection and analysis of data within the distribution network to improve operational awareness. Management is bullish about the company’s prospects, supported by a number of reasons like solid backlog and customer acceptance of its new products. It is poised to gain from strong order rates for innovative water solutions, including E-Series Ultrasonic meters and ORION Cellular LTE-M (Long-Term Evolution for Machines) radios. Its opportunities include Phyn — a joint venture between Belkin International and Uponor Corporation — which utilizes its D-Flow ultrasonic technology in a smart water monitoring system for residential use. Inclusion in AT&T Inc.’s (T - Free Report) Smart City Alliance, a framework created by AT&T, allowed Badger Meter to explore new ways for its smart water solutions to join forces with industry-leading cellular networks.

Despite the slowdown of overall activity in end markets due to the pandemic, Badger Meter’s near-term outlook remains bullish. It had undertaken temporary cost-saving initiatives to ensure smooth functioning of its business operations. The company expects to witness solid backlog on the back of increasing orders in the upcoming quarters. Badger Meter is focused on investing in digital solutions that operationalize real-time data and utilize remote solutions to reduce overall costs and enhance efficiency. Moreover, with discretionary spend controls, Badger Meter continues to deliver critical products and services to customers during this hour of crisis. It is well positioned to emerge from this unprecedented calamity owing to robust liquidity position and strong bid pipeline.

Notably, Badger Meter’s strong cash generation and balance sheet allow it to execute its capital allocation strategy. This includes investments to grow its business organically and through acquisitions. The combination of ATi’s electrochemical sensors and s::can’s optical water quality monitoring instruments provides Badger Meter with a comprehensive water quality monitoring solution. The company continues to expand its smart water offerings by integrating advanced technologies in instrumentation. This is likely to enhance the scope of valuable data for use by utilities and industrial customers.

It has a VGM Score of B and delivered a positive earnings surprise of 7.1%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

Other Key Picks

Some other top-ranked stocks in the industry are Ooma, Inc. (OOMA - Free Report) and Woodward, Inc. (WWD - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2.

Ooma delivered a positive earnings surprise of 163.7%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

Woodward has a long-term earnings growth expectation of 13.5%. It delivered a positive earnings surprise of 34.6%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

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