Waters (NYSE:WAT) Updates Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Waters (NYSE:WAT) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 3.950-4.050 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 4.010. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.7 billion-$1.8 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.8 billion. Waters also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 14.450-14.650 EPS.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WAT shares. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $355.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Waters from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waters currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $402.47.

Waters Price Performance

NYSE WAT traded up $13.43 on Tuesday, hitting $388.17. 571,218 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,023,551. Waters has a 1-year low of $275.05 and a 1-year high of $414.15. The company has a market cap of $38.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $369.92 and a two-hundred day moving average of $344.99.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.Waters’s quarterly revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.95 EPS. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Waters will post 14.51 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Veritas Asset Management LLP increased its position in shares of Waters by 112.3% in the 4th quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 1,241,206 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $471,447,000 after buying an additional 656,436 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its position in shares of Waters by 509.8% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 671,103 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $254,906,000 after purchasing an additional 561,047 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in Waters by 1,611.3% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 581,063 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $220,705,000 after purchasing an additional 547,109 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in Waters by 32.3% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,472,419 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $441,446,000 after buying an additional 359,596 shares during the period. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new position in Waters in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $70,316,000. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.

Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.