NEOS Investment Management LLC Buys 1,690 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

NEOS Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 12.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,252 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 1,690 shares during the period. NEOS Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Waters were worth $5,720,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Pilgrim Global Advisors LLC bought a new position in Waters in the second quarter valued at about $466,131,171,000. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,182,191,000. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the 2nd quarter valued at about $623,921,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at about $265,751,000. Finally, Veritas Asset Management LLP lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 112.3% in the 4th quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 1,241,206 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $471,447,000 after purchasing an additional 656,436 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on WAT shares. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Waters from $425.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $440.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. 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 research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Waters from $380.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $420.00 target price on Waters in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waters has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $424.35.

Waters Price Performance

NYSE WAT opened at $409.39 on Monday. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $282.77 and a 12 month high of $426.22. The stock has a market cap of $40.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 102.09, a PEG ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.19. The company’s 50 day moving average is $391.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $351.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly 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 business had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.95 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Headlines Impacting Waters

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shares are up 3.1% since the company’s most recent earnings report, reflecting investor confidence after Waters exceeded quarterly expectations with adjusted EPS of $3.05 versus the $3.01 consensus and revenue of $1.65 billion versus $1.62 billion expected. Why Is Waters Up Since Last Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts currently assign Waters a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy,” providing continued support for the stock. The company also maintained 2026 earnings guidance of $14.45 to $14.65 per share. Waters Given Moderate Buy Recommendation
• Neutral Sentiment: Waters’ latest results included strong reported year-over-year revenue growth and an earnings beat, but investors may focus on whether that momentum is sustainable and whether the company can deliver its full-year outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock trades at a very elevated valuation—approximately 102 times earnings—so expectations are high. Any weaker-than-expected demand, guidance revision, or margin pressure could produce volatility despite the positive analyst consensus.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In related news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

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.