Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) have received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $420.35.

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and issued a $400.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. TD Cowen raised Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $408.00 to $475.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Waters from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Waters in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT stock opened at $411.88 on Monday. Waters has a 12 month low of $282.77 and a 12 month high of $420.26. The stock has a market cap of $40.47 billion, a PE ratio of 102.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $377.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $346.31.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.62 billion. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The company’s revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.95 EPS. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Waters will post 14.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Waters

In related news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at $7,086,515.52. The trade was a 16.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT boosted its position in shares of Waters by 121.2% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Vision Retirement LLC bought a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Bollard Group LLC purchased a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waters Company Profile

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.