Waters (NYSE:WAT) PT Raised to $332.00 at Stifel Nicolaus

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its price objective hoisted by equities research analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $330.00 to $332.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ target price indicates a potential downside of 1.31% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Waters from $319.00 to $312.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $306.70.

Waters Trading Up 3.9 %

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $336.42 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $19.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.01, a PEG ratio of 6.39 and a beta of 0.98. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $332.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $311.03. Waters has a 12 month low of $231.90 and a 12 month high of $363.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.11. Waters had a net margin of 21.72% and a return on equity of 81.30%. The business had revenue of $636.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $635.57 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Waters will post 11.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Waters

In other Waters news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total value of $177,770.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 2,250 shares in the company, valued at $799,965. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.82% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth $25,000. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in Waters during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC raised its position in shares of Waters by 300.0% during the third quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 144 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.