Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” from Analysts

Shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) have been assigned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the fifteen analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $378.7333.

WAT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 target price on shares of Waters and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Scotiabank reaffirmed a “sector outperform” rating and set a $465.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 target price on shares of Waters and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, July 15th.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $306.80 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $295.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $331.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.22. Waters has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $771.33 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $745.96 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. The company’s revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.63 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 3.150-3.250 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 12.950-13.050 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Waters will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Waters in the first quarter valued at $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in Waters in the first quarter valued at $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in Waters by 118.9% in the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Waters by 5,200.0% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Waters in the first quarter valued at $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

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.