Waters Corporation $WAT Holdings Cut by London Co. of Virginia

London Co. of Virginia cut its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 2.8% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 580,436 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 16,912 shares during the quarter. London Co. of Virginia owned approximately 0.98% of Waters worth $202,600,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $41,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in Waters by 65.4% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 134 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV raised its position in Waters by 533.3% during the second quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 190 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $66,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Steph & Co. acquired a new stake in Waters in the second quarter valued at approximately $73,000. Finally, Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. grew its position in Waters by 1,750.0% in the second quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 222 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $77,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WAT. Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Waters from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Waters from $315.00 to $385.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on Waters in a research note on Monday, December 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $423.00 price objective on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $390.31.

Waters Price Performance

NYSE WAT opened at $385.35 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $368.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $333.75. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $423.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.94 billion, a PE ratio of 35.42, a P/E/G ratio of 3.57 and a beta of 1.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.53.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 19th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Waters had a return on equity of 36.59% and a net margin of 20.89%.The firm had revenue of $608.55 million for the quarter. Research analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

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.