Raymond James Trust N.A. Purchases 92 Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 7.6% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,308 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A.’s holdings in Waters were worth $379,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO bought a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in Waters by 190.2% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 119 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the period. TFC Financial Management Inc. raised its position in Waters by 19,900.0% in the second quarter. TFC Financial Management Inc. now owns 200 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Waters during the first quarter worth about $72,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of WAT stock opened at $336.77 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $19.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.05, a PEG ratio of 5.83 and a beta of 0.95. Waters Co. has a 12 month low of $231.90 and a 12 month high of $367.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $313.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $323.85.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.08. Waters had a net margin of 20.71% and a return on equity of 56.81%. The business had revenue of $709.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $700.09 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.80 earnings per share. Waters’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Waters Co. will post 11.6 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Barclays increased their target price on Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 1st. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $325.00 to $363.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Leerink Partnrs upgraded shares of Waters from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $332.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. They set a “hold” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Waters has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $310.58.

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.