Waters (NYSE:WAT) Price Target Lowered to $330.00 at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its target price lowered by Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $370.00 to $330.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a hold rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on WAT. Wolfe Research raised Waters from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $480.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. HSBC initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $460.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 target price on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on Waters in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $425.00 target price on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $394.63.

Waters Stock Performance

Waters stock opened at $302.71 on Wednesday. Waters has a 1-year low of $275.05 and a 1-year high of $414.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $29.70 billion, a PE ratio of 28.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.20. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $337.09 and its 200 day simple moving average is $351.19.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $932.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $928.17 million. Waters had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 34.79%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm 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. As a group, analysts expect that Waters will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Wei Jiang acquired 500 shares of Waters stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $289.46 per share, for a total transaction of $144,730.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 3,441 shares in the company, valued at $996,031.86. This trade represents a 17.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waters

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Waters in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd bought a new stake in Waters during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its holdings in Waters by 121.2% in the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in Waters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, DV Equities LLC bought a new position in Waters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.