BDF Gestion bought a new position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT – Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 4,917 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $2,160,000.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. California Public Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 25.4% in the first quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 138,423 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $41,222,000 after purchasing an additional 28,074 shares during the last quarter. Dudley & Shanley Inc. boosted its stake in Waters by 101.3% during the second quarter. Dudley & Shanley Inc. now owns 23,590 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $8,847,000 after buying an additional 11,870 shares during the last quarter. Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. acquired a new position in Waters during the first quarter worth $942,000. Hahn Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Waters during the first quarter worth $1,490,000. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in Waters by 106.7% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,751 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,045,000 after buying an additional 1,420 shares in the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Waters Trading Down 0.5%
Waters stock traded down $2.24 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $434.71. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 178,589 shares, compared to its average volume of 959,684. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.71 billion, a PE ratio of 108.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 1.15. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $282.77 and a 1 year high of $454.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $420.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $376.76.
Waters (NYSE:WAT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.95 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 EPS for the current year.
Insider Activity
In related news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the sale, the director directly owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. The trade was a 16.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of brokerages have issued reports on WAT. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on Waters in a research note on Friday, June 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $425.00 to $470.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $420.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $443.79.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Waters
Waters Company Profile
Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) develops and manufactures analytical technologies used to measure, identify and characterize chemical and biological substances. Its customers include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, industrial manufacturers, academic and government laboratories, and organizations involved in food, environmental and clinical testing.
The company’s product portfolio includes high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, chromatography columns and consumables, and laboratory software for data management and analysis.
See Also
- Five stocks we like better than Waters
- Alcoa Beat Earnings, But Can It Escape the Aluminum Bears?
- Insider Buying Is Rising at These 3 Regional Banks, But the Details Matter
- Illinois Tool Works Faces Headwinds—2 Alternatives Stand Out
- Luxury’s Middle Market Is Cracking—These 3 Stocks Could Win
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Waters Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Waters and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
