CIBC Asset Management Inc Grows Stake in Waters Corporation $WAT

CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 67.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 14,368 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,771 shares during the period. CIBC Asset Management Inc’s holdings in Waters were worth $5,457,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Waters by 155.1% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 468,221 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $177,844,000 after buying an additional 284,699 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Waters by 23.3% in the 4th quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 244,898 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $93,020,000 after buying an additional 46,225 shares during the period. BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new stake in Waters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $4,070,000. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board lifted its holdings in Waters by 7.6% in the 4th quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 2,840 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,079,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Finally, Portland Global Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $221,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of Waters stock opened at $365.74 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $331.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $350.91. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $414.15. The company has a market capitalization of $35.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.47, a PEG ratio of 2.21 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. 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, analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.5 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Wei Jiang bought 500 shares of Waters stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $289.46 per share, with a total value of $144,730.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 3,441 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $996,031.86. This trade represents a 17.00% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Citigroup assumed coverage on Waters in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $425.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Waters from $423.00 to $350.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Sunday, February 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price objective on Waters in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Waters from $345.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Waters currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $394.24.

About Waters

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.