Artisan Partners Limited Partnership Purchases 100 Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Artisan Partners Limited Partnership grew its position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 0.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 194,364 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Artisan Partners Limited Partnership’s holdings in Waters were worth $72,105,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WAT. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in Waters in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in shares of Waters by 235.7% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 129.3% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in Waters in the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position 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 acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Baird R W upgraded Waters from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company increased 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 raised shares of Waters from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $430.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, January 10th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $397.40.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $370.19 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $21.99 billion, a PE ratio of 34.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. Waters Co. has a 52 week low of $279.24 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $388.26 and its 200-day moving average is $372.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.94.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a return on equity of 46.31% and a net margin of 21.56%. Sell-side analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

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.