Waters (NYSE:WAT – Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at UBS Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $490.00 price objective on the medical instruments supplier’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $375.00. UBS Group’s price target indicates a potential upside of 20.05% from the stock’s previous close.
A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $440.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $400.00 target price on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on Waters in a research note on Friday, June 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 price target for the company. Finally, HSBC boosted their price target on Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $430.10.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on WAT
Waters Price Performance
Waters (NYSE:WAT – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.62 billion. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 113.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.95 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Waters will post 14.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Waters news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total transaction of $1,442,930.44. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at $7,086,515.52. This trade represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Institutional Trading of Waters
Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV acquired a new position in Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Waters during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its stake in Waters by 121.2% during 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. Finally, Vision Retirement LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Waters Company Profile
Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) develops and manufactures analytical laboratory instruments, software and consumables used to characterize chemical, biological and pharmaceutical materials. Its products support applications including liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, thermal analysis and rheology.
The company’s offerings include high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, chromatography columns, laboratory software and related services.
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