Hikari Power Ltd Trims Stock Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Hikari Power Ltd trimmed its holdings in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 83.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,024 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 39,606 shares during the period. Hikari Power Ltd’s holdings in Waters were worth $2,390,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich grew its holdings in Waters by 482.8% during the 1st quarter. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich now owns 65,019 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $19,363,000 after buying an additional 53,862 shares during the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 65.2% in the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 11,266 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,355,000 after acquiring an additional 4,446 shares during the last quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Waters by 62.8% in the first quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 1,050 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $313,000 after acquiring an additional 405 shares in the last quarter. Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at $270,000. Finally, Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at $64,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WAT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Waters to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Waters from $345.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday. They set an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 price objective on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Waters currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $401.60.

Waters Trading Down 1.5%

NYSE:WAT opened at $369.45 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $355.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $346.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $36.28 billion, a PE ratio of 46.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 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 12 month low of $275.05 and a 12 month high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly 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. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.25 EPS. 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. Research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.