Banking & Finance

Racine-based Modine Manufacturing Inc. has been upgraded from “neutral” to “outperform” rating by analysts at Milwaukee-based Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc.

Brown Deer-based Badger Meter Inc.’s stock has been upgraded by investment analysts at Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating.
Baird has a new $57 per share price objective for Badger Meter’s stock, up from a previous price objective of $54.

Bruce Laning has been named president of Madison-based investment advisory firm Baker Tilly Investment Advisors LP. He will work out of the Milwaukee office.

West Bend-based Westbury Bank will spend about $1.5 million to renovate its branch at North Avenue and Calhoun Road in Brookfield.

Green Bay-based Associated Banc-Corp reported first quarter net income of $45.1 million, or 27 cents per share, down from $47.3 million, or 28 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2013.

Waukesha State Bank is working on plans to build a bank branch in Hartland at the current site of the Hartbrook Lanes bowling alley at 550 Hartbrook Drive.

Brown Deer-based Badger Meter Inc. today reported first quarter net income of $4.6 million, or 32 cents per share, up 59.3 percent from $2.9 million, or 20 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2013.

Brown Deer-based Bank Mutual Corp. today reported first quarter net income of $2.8 million, or 6 cents per share, up 11.7 percent from $2.5 million, or 5 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2013.

Kenosha-based Snap-on Inc. today reported first quarter net earnings of $98.2 million, or $1.62 per share, up from $82.8 million, or $1.40 per share, in the first quarter of 2013.

In his bestseller, “Good to Great,” author Jim Collins reveals that great business leaders have hearty appetites for the unadulterated truth, the “brutal facts,” but truth about what?