Madison Asset Management LLC Decreases Stake in Waters Corporation $WAT

Madison Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 7.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 272,649 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 20,515 shares during the quarter. Waters comprises 1.0% of Madison Asset Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Madison Asset Management LLC owned about 0.28% of Waters worth $81,195,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its stake in Waters by 121.2% in the 4th 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 in the last quarter. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Vision Retirement LLC purchased a new position in Waters during the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Trading Down 3.2%

Shares of Waters stock opened at $357.29 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $35.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.40, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.20. Waters Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $414.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.79. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $362.28 and a 200 day moving average of $346.08.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The company had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.25 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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, research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on WAT shares. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price objective on Waters in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $440.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $355.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $401.60.

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.