Waters (NYSE:WAT) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen cut shares of Waters (NYSE:WAT) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Sunday,Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on WAT. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on shares of Waters from $435.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Waters from $425.00 to $470.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Waters in a report on Friday, June 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 target price for the company. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on Waters in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $425.00 target price on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $424.35.

Waters Price Performance

Waters stock opened at $403.29 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $393.27 and its 200 day moving average price is $352.79. Waters has a 1 year low of $282.77 and a 1 year high of $426.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $39.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 100.57, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.86.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.62 billion. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 113.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.95 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Waters will post 14.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In other news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total transaction of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at $7,086,515.52. This trade represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Waters in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in Waters in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its holdings in Waters by 121.2% in the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the period. Finally, Vision Retirement LLC acquired a new position in Waters in the first quarter valued at about $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Waters

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.