Waters (NYSE:WAT) Releases Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Waters (NYSE:WAT) updated its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 3.950-4.050 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 4.010. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.7 billion-$1.8 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.8 billion. Waters also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 14.450-14.650 EPS.

Waters Stock Up 3.6%

Shares of WAT traded up $13.43 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $388.17. The stock had a trading volume of 571,218 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,023,551. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The firm has a market cap of $38.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $369.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $344.99. Waters has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $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. On average, analysts anticipate that Waters will post 14.51 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Waters from $355.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Waters in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on Waters in a research report on Friday, June 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Friday, July 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $402.47.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its holdings in Waters by 121.2% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. raised its holdings in Waters by 39.6% in the 4th quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. now owns 155 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $59,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in Waters in the 2nd quarter valued at about $61,000. Finally, State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in Waters during the second quarter worth approximately $75,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.