Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT – Get Rating) have received an average rating of “Hold” from the seven research firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $373.83.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on WAT shares. StockNews.com started coverage on Waters in a research report on Thursday, March 31st. They set a “buy” rating for the company. SVB Leerink decreased their price target on Waters from $375.00 to $350.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Waters from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $320.00 to $315.00 in a research note on Monday, April 25th.

Shares of NYSE WAT opened at $313.95 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $18.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.47, a PEG ratio of 3.15 and a beta of 0.85. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $314.44 and its 200 day moving average is $330.54. Waters has a 52 week low of $288.32 and a 52 week high of $428.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.85.

Waters (NYSE:WAT – Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 3rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.33 by $0.47. Waters had a net margin of 24.57% and a return on equity of 221.08%. The company had revenue of $690.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $634.08 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.29 EPS. Waters’s revenue was up 13.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Waters will post 12.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Ellevest Inc. boosted its position in Waters by 144.4% during the first quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 88 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. acquired a new stake in Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $48,000. Kenfarb & CO. acquired a new stake in Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $48,000. Tyler Stone Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $56,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd acquired a new stake in Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $58,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 90.65% of the company’s stock.

About Waters (Get Rating)

Waters Corporation, a specialty measurement company, 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.

Featured Stories