year-over-year from 39.3% in the comparable prior year quarter. The record gross margin percent was the result of especially favorable product and customer sales mix, as well as benefits from operational excellence initiatives. Tariff and related impacts in the first quarter of 2025 were de minimis.

Total Selling, Engineering and Administration (SEA) expenses increased $5.4 million, or 13% year-over-year, due primarily to the inclusion of SmartCover, including approximately $1.1 million of intangible asset amortization. Excluding the acquisition, SEA expenses increased $2.2 million or 5%. In total, SEA as a percent of sales remained flat at 20.7%.

The tax rate for the first quarter of 2025 was 24.4%, modestly above the prior year’s 23.5%. As a result of the above, as well as lower interest income resulting from the acquisition capital deployed, EPS was $1.30, up 31% compared to $0.99 in the comparable prior year period.

Outlook

Bockhorst continued, “Our first quarter results demonstrate the resilience and durability of our replacement-driven business amidst a volatile macroeconomic environment. As previously communicated, we will face difficult prior-year comparisons in the upcoming second quarter of 2025. Nevertheless, the attractive fundamentals of the water industry, and our ability to add value to customers with an innovative and reliable portfolio of solutions, support our average high-single-digit long-term revenue growth outlook.

We delivered record gross margins in the first quarter, benefiting from a notably favorable combination of product and customer sales mix. While this clearly demonstrates that the structural mix benefit of technology adoption within our business is real, given the evolving tariff picture and related uncertainty, we believe it is prudent to maintain our normalized gross margin range of 38-40% at this time. At present, we are confident in our ability to manage certain tariff-related cost challenges. Our history of strong operational execution, particularly in the management of our supply chain, manufacturing footprint, and value-based pricing strategy, underscores our proven ability to control what we can control in a turbulent economic environment.

The addition of SmartCover earlier this year emphasizes the growing extensibility and appeal of our BlueEdge suite of products and services. Our customers continue to feel the impact of extreme weather events, which makes SmartCover’s stormwater management offering a compelling part of our portfolio. Although still early in the integration, we’re on track for delivering anticipated sales and cost synergies. Importantly, our solid balance sheet gives us the financial flexibility to fund the capital allocation priorities supporting our long-term strategy, including value-added, disciplined acquisitions.

Bockhorst concluded, “We were proud to be named for the third consecutive year to Barron's 2025 list of 100 Most Sustainable Companies. We carry a responsibility for protecting the world’s most precious resource. This gives our employees a sense of purpose, which powers our innovation engine, delivers solutions to our end markets, and generates steady long-term shareholder value.”

Conference Call and Webcast Information

Badger Meter management will hold a conference call to discuss the Company’s first quarter 2025 results today, Thursday April 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM Central/11:00 AM Eastern time. The listen-only webcast and related presentation can be accessed via the Investor section of our website. Participants can also register to take part in the call using this online registration link:

https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=7857e434&confId=79909.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements contained in this news release, as well as other information provided from time to time by Badger Meter, Inc. (the “Company”) or its employees, may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those statements. The Company’s results are subject to general economic conditions, variation in demand from customers, continued market acceptance of new products, the successful integration of acquisitions, competitive pricing and operating efficiencies, supply chain risk, material and labor cost increases, tax reform and foreign currency risk. See the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for further information regarding risk factors, which are incorporated herein by reference. Badger Meter disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or any other reason.

About Badger Meter

With more than a century of water technology innovation, Badger Meter provides comprehensive water management solutions through its BlueEdge® suite. This tailorable portfolio of smart measurement hardware, reliable communications, data visualization and analytics software and ongoing support and industry expertise give customers the edge in optimizing their operations and contributing to the sustainable use and protection of the world’s most precious resource. For more information, visit www.badgermeter.com.

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