Waters (NYSE:WAT – Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Sunday.
A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. HSBC raised their price objective on Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Friday, June 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 price objective on the stock. Wolfe Research began coverage on Waters in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $425.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America increased their price target on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waters presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $400.37.
Read Our Latest Research Report on WAT
Waters Trading Up 0.1%
Waters (NYSE:WAT – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.25 EPS. Waters’s quarterly revenue was up 91.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Waters will post 14.51 EPS for the current year.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waters
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Waters during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV purchased a new position in Waters in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its position in shares of Waters by 121.2% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Vision Retirement LLC purchased a new stake in Waters during the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Bollard Group LLC purchased a new stake in Waters during the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Waters Company Profile
Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.
Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.
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