Waters (NYSE:WAT) Now Covered by Citigroup

Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Waters (NYSE:WAT) in a research note released on Tuesday. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $425.00 target price on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the company. Wolfe Research upgraded Waters from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $480.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday. Guggenheim started coverage on Waters in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $440.00 price objective for the company. HSBC started coverage on Waters in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $460.00 price objective for the company. Finally, William Blair assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Monday, January 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $400.84.

Waters Stock Down 0.4%

WAT stock opened at $326.82 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $19.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.35, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.18. 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 has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $414.15. The company’s 50 day moving average is $385.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $347.69.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.50 by $0.03. Waters had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 36.45%. The firm had revenue of $932.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $928.17 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.10 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. Research analysts expect that Waters will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WAT. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Waters in the third quarter valued at $26,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $49,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in 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 buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — Waters reported $4.53 EPS and $932M revenue, topping consensus and showing year‑over‑year revenue growth, supporting the company’s operating strength. Zacks: Waters Beats Q4
• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst bullishness: Guggenheim reaffirmed a Buy and set a $440 price target, and Citi initiated coverage with a Buy and $425 target — both imply sizable upside versus the current level. Benzinga / Guggenheim TickerReport / Citi
• Positive Sentiment: Waters completed the Reverse Morris Trust combination with BD’s Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions business, creating a larger life‑sciences company and naming Claire M. Fraser, Ph.D. to the board — a strategic step that management says will drive scale and synergies. PR Newswire: Combination Closed
• Neutral Sentiment: Evercore ISI initiated coverage with an In‑Line rating and $360 target — modest upside but not an upgrade; this is informational rather than a clear directional catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term guidance disappointed: Waters guided Q1 EPS of $2.25–$2.35 vs. consensus ~ $2.52 and flagged first‑quarter profit below Wall Street estimates, which pressured sentiment. Yahoo Finance: Q1 Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts trimmed targets or tempered ratings: Bank of America cut its price target to $350 and kept a Neutral rating, and TD Cowen maintained a Hold while lowering its target to $373 — incremental negative influence on sentiment. Benzinga / BofA TipRanks / TD Cowen
• Positive Sentiment: Management set FY‑2026 targets that reflect the BD integration: projected revenue around $6.4–$6.46B and a target margin near 28.1%, signaling potential longer‑term upside if synergies materialize. MSN: FY2026 Targets

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.