Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Reduces Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lowered its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 11.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 111,414 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 14,656 shares during the quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned about 0.19% of Waters worth $33,403,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new position in Waters during the 3rd quarter valued at about $195,000. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Waters by 225.5% during the third quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,551,010 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $465,008,000 after buying an additional 1,074,449 shares during the period. Veritas Asset Management LLP bought a new position in shares of Waters during the third quarter valued at approximately $175,320,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Waters by 5.6% during the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 869,177 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $260,600,000 after buying an additional 46,339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 1.8% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 107,359 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $32,187,000 after buying an additional 1,857 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. Evercore ISI started coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday. They set a “hold” rating and a $360.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. 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. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $425.00 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waters has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $397.68.

Waters Trading Up 0.8%

NYSE WAT opened at $329.65 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.53. The company has a market capitalization of $19.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.18. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $383.65 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $347.56. Waters Corporation has a one year low of $275.05 and a one year high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $932.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $928.17 million. Waters had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 36.45%. The company’s revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior 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. Equities analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Waters

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations modestly (EPS and revenue) and showed healthy margin/ROE; management provided FY‑2026 EPS guidance (14.30–14.50) showing underlying profitability, supporting longer‑term earnings visibility. Waters Q4 2025 earnings call transcript
• Positive Sentiment: Waters has completed the combination with BD’s Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions businesses — a strategic deal that expands Waters’ product set and end‑market exposure and could drive revenue diversification over time. Waters completes combination with BD
• Neutral Sentiment: BD completed its spin‑off/merger and reportedly secured proceeds (~$4B) as it refocuses on core MedTech — the transaction reshapes both companies but immediate cash flow impacts are primarily on BD. BD merges biosciences & diagnostics with Waters
• Neutral Sentiment: Several sell‑/hold‑side firms initiated or reiterated coverage with a wide range of targets (Guggenheim, Citi bullish; Evercore neutral). This creates mixed analyst signals for the stock’s medium‑term outlook. Analyst coverage notes (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Waters issued a weak Q1 profit outlook that prompted a slide in shares as investors reacted to near‑term margin and integration risks tied to the BD combination. Waters forecasts weak Q1, shares slide
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple price‑target cuts and neutral/hold actions (Wells Fargo lowered target to $355; BofA to $350; TD Cowen trimmed target) are increasing near‑term downward pressure on the stock. Analyst target changes (Benzinga)
• Negative Sentiment: Shares have underperformed some peers recently, reflecting investor caution around integration execution and short‑term profitability. Waters underperforms peers

Waters 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.