Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Shares Purchased by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its position in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 27.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,944 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 413 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Waters were worth $721,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of Waters by 235.7% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Waters by 129.3% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT stock opened at $321.34 on Thursday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $363.71 and its 200-day simple moving average is $371.63. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. Waters Co. has a 52 week low of $279.24 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The company has a market cap of $19.12 billion, a PE ratio of 30.00, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.04.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a return on equity of 46.31% and a net margin of 21.56%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Waters Co. will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on WAT. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 price target on Waters and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Waters from $405.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Waters from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $430.00 to $450.00 in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Baird R W raised shares of Waters from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $395.38.

Waters Profile

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.