Aquatic Capital Management LLC Makes New Investment in Waters Corporation $WAT

Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 16,351 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $4,902,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Waters in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $11,819,000. Credit Agricole S A bought a new position in Waters during the third quarter valued at approximately $4,146,000. Amundi grew its position in Waters by 22.3% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 417,739 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $136,860,000 after acquiring an additional 76,068 shares during the last quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec raised its stake in shares of Waters by 36.0% during the third quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 77,242 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $23,158,000 after acquiring an additional 20,440 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Freestone Grove Partners LP purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the third quarter worth approximately $1,518,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Stock Up 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $290.01 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $350.57 and its 200 day moving average is $351.53. The company has a market cap of $28.45 billion, a PE ratio of 26.93, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.27. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.50 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $932.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $928.17 million. Waters had a return on equity of 34.79% and a net margin of 20.30%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.10 EPS. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WAT. William Blair began coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Monday, January 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Waters from $410.00 to $350.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Evercore began coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. They set a “hold” rating and a $360.00 price target for the company. Barclays assumed coverage on Waters in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $440.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $393.84.

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.