Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Shares Purchased by Neuberger Berman Group LLC

Neuberger Berman Group LLC boosted its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 1,155.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 47,140 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 43,386 shares during the quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC’s holdings in Waters were worth $17,374,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in Waters by 130.2% in the 1st quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 14,641 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $5,396,000 after acquiring an additional 8,282 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $41,000. S Bank Fund Management Ltd acquired a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $763,000. National Pension Service increased its position in Waters by 8.6% in the 1st quarter. National Pension Service now owns 105,601 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $38,921,000 after acquiring an additional 8,323 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in shares of Waters by 5.7% during the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 49,216 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $18,125,000 after purchasing an additional 2,664 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT opened at $296.64 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.75, a PEG ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.04. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $321.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $348.25. Waters Corporation has a 52-week low of $275.05 and a 52-week high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.93 by $0.02. Waters had a return on equity of 38.60% and a net margin of 21.71%. The business had revenue of $771.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $745.96 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.63 earnings per share. Waters’s revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price target on Waters and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 target price on shares of Waters and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $378.73.

Waters Company 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.