Aberdeen Group plc Grows Stock Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

Aberdeen Group plc raised its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 13.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 76,819 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 9,376 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned about 0.13% of Waters worth $26,813,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Waters by 112.9% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,269 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $471,000 after buying an additional 673 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Waters by 36.6% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,797 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $662,000 after buying an additional 481 shares during the period. CX Institutional purchased a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $75,000. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in Waters by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 2,273 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $838,000 after buying an additional 52 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its position in Waters by 169.1% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 11,619 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $4,283,000 after buying an additional 7,301 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Trading Up 1.8%

NYSE WAT opened at $336.83 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The firm has a market cap of $20.05 billion, a PE ratio of 30.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $300.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $323.39. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 19th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.29 EPS for the quarter. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. The firm had revenue of $608.55 million during the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on WAT. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price target on shares of Waters and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 4th. Rothschild Redb upgraded shares of Waters to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Rothschild & Co Redburn began coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $390.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “neutral” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $377.56.

About Waters

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.