Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. Buys Shares of 55,465 Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. bought a new stake in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 55,465 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $20,576,000. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. owned about 0.09% of Waters at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 235.7% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in Waters by 129.3% during 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. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in Waters in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of Waters stock traded down $6.08 on Thursday, reaching $341.65. 538,257 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 509,879. Waters Co. has a 1-year low of $279.24 and a 1-year high of $423.56. The firm has a market cap of $20.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.90, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.94. The company's 50-day moving average is $353.89 and its two-hundred day moving average is $370.09.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a net margin of 21.56% and a return on equity of 46.31%. As a group, research analysts expect that Waters Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAT has been the subject of several research reports. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $407.00 to $355.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Bank of America decreased their price target on shares of Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 price objective on Waters and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded Waters from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Waters has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $392.13.

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.