Allianz Asset Management GmbH Sells 1,591 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Allianz Asset Management GmbH trimmed its holdings in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 27.0% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,312 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,591 shares during the period. Allianz Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in Waters were worth $1,293,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 225.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,551,010 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $465,008,000 after purchasing an additional 1,074,449 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its position in Waters by 31.0% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,021,358 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,403,615,000 after buying an additional 950,687 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in Waters by 44.3% during the third 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 during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the second quarter worth approximately $266,384,000. Finally, Veritas Asset Management LLP bought a new position in shares of Waters in the third quarter valued at approximately $175,320,000. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

More Waters News

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat and upbeat guidance — Waters posted $4.53 EPS vs. $4.50 est. and revenue of $932.4M (up ~7% y/y); management set FY‑2026 EPS guidance of $14.30–$14.50 and Q1 guidance of $2.25–$2.35, citing strength in Pharma and Europe. This is the main fundamental catalyst for the stock rally. Waters Q4 Earnings Surpass Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: New/expanded analyst coverage — Barclays initiated coverage with an Overweight rating and $400 PT (significant upside vs. current levels), and firms including Guggenheim, Citigroup and Evercore also initiated or reiterated coverage, adding buying interest and liquidity. Barclays Overweight on WAT
• Positive Sentiment: Technicals suggest a potential rebound — commentary notes the stock was materially oversold over the past month, increasing the chance of a technical bounce as analysts raise estimates. This may have amplified short‑covering and buyer interest. Down 19.0% in 4 Weeks, Here’s Why Waters Looks Ripe for a Turnaround
• Neutral Sentiment: Policy/legislative mention unrelated to the company — A bill introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters on hydrofluoric acid in refineries is circulating; this concerns refineries, not Waters Corporation (analytical instruments), so it’s unlikely to affect WAT’s fundamentals. H.R. 7384 Bill Text
• Neutral Sentiment: Personal news about an unrelated individual with the surname Waters — irrelevant to company performance or stock. Personal announcement (unrelated)
• Negative Sentiment: Bank of America cut its price target to $350 — a downward revision that could temper upside and indicates some analyst caution despite the beat; investors should weigh this alongside other bullish initiations. BofA Lowers WAT Price Target

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, February 8th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $440.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday. Barclays initiated coverage on Waters in a report on Tuesday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $363.00 target price on Waters in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America cut their price target on Waters from $410.00 to $350.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. 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 company. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $397.68.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT stock opened at $323.91 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.41. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $414.15. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $380.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $347.52. The company has a market capitalization of $19.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.20 and a beta of 1.18.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. Waters had a return on equity of 34.79% and a net margin of 20.30%.The company had revenue of $932.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $928.17 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.10 earnings per share. Waters’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.