Toronto Dominion Bank Buys 12,634 Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its stake in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 48.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 38,937 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,634 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank owned approximately 0.07% of Waters worth $14,443,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 129.3% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 54.3% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of WAT opened at $358.40 on Tuesday. Waters Co. has a 1-year low of $279.24 and a 1-year high of $423.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $346.42 and its 200-day moving average price is $371.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.46, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.14.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.22 by $0.03. Waters had a return on equity of 46.31% and a net margin of 21.56%. The business had revenue of $661.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $655.50 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.21 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Waters Co. will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on WAT. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Waters from $355.00 to $374.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Baird R W upgraded Waters from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 target price on shares of Waters and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $390.19.

Waters Profile

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.