Waters (NYSE:WAT) Shares Gap Down to $304.18

Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $304.18, but opened at $296.30. Waters shares last traded at $292.62, with a volume of 102,246 shares.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Waters from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Waters from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 4th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $298.67.

Waters Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $337.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $305.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 2.22 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The company has a market capitalization of $17.69 billion, a PE ratio of 28.04, a PEG ratio of 6.24 and a beta of 0.92.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.62 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.56 by $0.06. Waters had a net margin of 21.72% and a return on equity of 81.30%. The firm had revenue of $819.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $815.50 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.84 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 11.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In related news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total value of $177,770.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 2,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $799,965. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.98% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 10.2% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 6,977 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $2,165,000 after buying an additional 645 shares in the last quarter. Group One Trading L.P. bought a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $135,000. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its stake in Waters by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 8,167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,535,000 after purchasing an additional 506 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 1.6% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 294,027 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $91,287,000 after purchasing an additional 4,656 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prudential PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 39.4% during the first quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 4,626 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,436,000 after purchasing an additional 1,308 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

About Waters

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.