Principal Financial Group Inc. Increases Stock Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT – Free Report) by 17.0% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,019,289 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 148,320 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Waters were worth $303,556,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its stake in shares of Waters by 121.2% in the fourth 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. Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at $30,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, First United Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at $31,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $376.81 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.88, a PEG ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.13. Waters Corporation has a one year low of $275.05 and a one year high of $414.15. The business has a fifty day moving average of $360.75 and a 200 day moving average of $346.51.

Waters (NYSE:WAT – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. The company had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.Waters’s revenue was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.25 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WAT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 target price on the stock. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $401.60.

Read Our Latest Analysis on WAT

Waters Company Profile

(Free Report)

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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