Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) has been given a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” by the nineteen ratings firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $395.00.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on WAT shares. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Waters in a research report on Monday, December 1st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $423.00 price objective for the company. Wolfe Research upgraded Waters from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $480.00 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Guggenheim assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $440.00 price target on the stock. Rothschild Redb upgraded shares of Waters to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Waters from $385.00 to $415.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd acquired a new position in Waters during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Waters by 115.4% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 112 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of Waters by 65.4% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 134 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Trading Up 3.5%

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $397.35 on Thursday. Waters has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The company’s 50 day moving average is $389.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $341.24. The company has a market cap of $23.66 billion, a PE ratio of 36.52, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $799.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $780.05 million. Waters had a net margin of 20.89% and a return on equity of 36.59%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.93 EPS. Waters has set its FY 2025 guidance at 13.050-13.150 EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Waters will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.

Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.