In the latest market close, Badger Meter (BMI) reached $199.74, with a +0.83% movement compared to the previous day. The stock outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.64%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.85%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.31%.

Heading into today, shares of the manufacturer of products that measure gas and water flow had lost 8.84% over the past month, outpacing the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 11.22% and lagging the S&P 500's loss of 7.69% in that time.

The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Badger Meter in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is forecasted to report an EPS of $1.08, showcasing a 9.09% upward movement from the corresponding quarter of the prior year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $222.04 million, reflecting a 13.12% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.

For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates project earnings of $4.65 per share and a revenue of $931.8 million, demonstrating changes of +9.93% and +12.73%, respectively, from the preceding year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Badger Meter. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Within the past 30 days, our consensus EPS projection remained stagnant. Right now, Badger Meter possesses a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Looking at its valuation, Badger Meter is holding a Forward P/E ratio of 42.64. For comparison, its industry has an average Forward P/E of 23.05, which means Badger Meter is trading at a premium to the group.

Investors should also note that BMI has a PEG ratio of 3.53 right now. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. As the market closed yesterday, the Instruments - Control industry was having an average PEG ratio of 3.26.

The Instruments - Control industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 165, which puts it in the bottom 35% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Badger Meter, Inc. (BMI) : Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research