Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-one analysts that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $393.8421.

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of Waters from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Waters from $423.00 to $350.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Sunday, February 22nd. Finally, Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $410.00 to $350.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 10th.

Waters Trading Down 4.7%

WAT opened at $283.58 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $354.58 and its 200-day moving average is $350.90. Waters has a 52-week low of $275.05 and a 52-week high of $414.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.20.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $932.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $928.17 million. Waters had a return on equity of 34.79% and a net margin of 20.30%.The company’s revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.10 earnings per share. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. Analysts expect that Waters will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. boosted its stake in Waters by 225.5% during the 3rd quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,551,010 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $465,008,000 after purchasing an additional 1,074,449 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in shares of Waters by 31.0% during the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,021,358 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,403,615,000 after buying an additional 950,687 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its holdings in Waters by 44.3% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,689,693 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $806,397,000 after buying an additional 825,723 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the second quarter valued at $266,384,000. Finally, Veritas Asset Management LLP raised its stake in shares of Waters by 112.3% during the fourth quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 1,241,206 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $471,447,000 after purchasing an additional 656,436 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

About Waters

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.