Waters (NYSE:WAT) Updates Q1 2025 Earnings Guidance

Waters (NYSE:WAT) issued an update on its first quarter 2025 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.170-2.250 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.430. The company issued revenue guidance of $643.2 million-$662.3 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $673.6 million. Waters also updated its FY 2025 guidance to 12.700-13.000 EPS.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of Waters stock traded down $4.46 during trading on Thursday, hitting $377.45. 46,524 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 428,892. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.37 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $390.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $363.86. Waters has a 1-year low of $279.24 and a 1-year high of $423.56. The company has a current ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a net margin of 21.43% and a return on equity of 49.93%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Waters will post 11.79 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $415.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 4th. Cfra set a $389.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Thursday, October 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Waters from $340.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Waters from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $430.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Waters from $332.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $390.07.

Waters Company Profile

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.