Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. Purchases 21,630 Shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)

Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 5.1% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 443,321 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 21,630 shares during the period. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. owned 0.75% of Waters worth $163,395,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in Waters by 129.3% in 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. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its stake in Waters by 5,200.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in Waters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 54.3% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of WAT opened at $350.15 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.77, a P/E/G ratio of 3.50 and a beta of 1.11. Waters Corporation has a 12-month low of $279.24 and a 12-month high of $423.56. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $345.79 and a 200-day moving average price of $365.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.22 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $661.71 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $655.50 million. Waters had a net margin of 22.02% and a return on equity of 41.70%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.21 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WAT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 price target on Waters and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 7th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on Waters from $415.00 to $360.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $390.19.

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.