Waters (NYSE:WAT) Price Target Raised to $525.00

Key Points

• Royal Bank of Canada raised its Waters price target to $525 from $475 and reiterated an “outperform” rating, implying about 12% upside from the stock’s current price.
• Waters reported quarterly earnings of $4.10 per share, beating the $4.00 consensus estimate, while revenue of about $1.77 billion also topped expectations; the company raised its 2026 revenue and earnings guidance.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: MarketBeat reports a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $469.13. Shares rose 1.9% to $468.74 on Wednesday.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) had its target price increased by Royal Bank Of Canada from $475.00 to $525.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "outperform" rating on the medical instruments supplier's stock. Royal Bank Of Canada's price objective points to a potential upside of 12.00% from the company's current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on WAT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Waters from $400.00 to $435.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. UBS Group upgraded shares of Waters from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $375.00 to $490.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $440.00 in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Waters from $460.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $469.13.

Waters Stock Up 1.9%

Shares of WAT stock traded up $8.84 on Wednesday, reaching $468.74. 376,162 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 967,004. The company has a market capitalization of $46.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 116.93, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.16. The business's 50 day moving average price is $432.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $371.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Waters has a twelve month low of $282.77 and a twelve month high of $482.28.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.00 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.75 billion. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%. Waters's revenue for the quarter was up 120.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.40 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect 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 transaction, the director directly owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This trade represents a 16.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. StoneRidge PMG Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at $485,000. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Waters in the third quarter valued at about $589,000. Candriam S.C.A. boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 21.2% during the 3rd quarter. Candriam S.C.A. now owns 31,187 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $13,753,000 after buying an additional 5,462 shares during the last quarter. Ethic Inc. grew its holdings in Waters by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 11,375 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $4,998,000 after acquiring an additional 767 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Calamos Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Waters in the third quarter valued at about $8,715,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Waters

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waters reported adjusted Q3 EPS of $4.10, up 21% year over year, and revenue of $1.767 billion, both above expectations. Organic revenue grew 9% as reported (10% in constant currency), and the company raised its 2026 revenue and earnings guidance. Waters Q3 2026 financial results
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s 2027 framework points to high-single-digit growth and a 29.2% adjusted operating margin, providing investors with a forward-looking growth and profitability target. Waters outlines 2027 framework
• Positive Sentiment: Waters agreed to acquire MOBILion Systems, adding high-resolution ion-mobility technology to its mass-spectrometry portfolio. The deal is intended to strengthen its proteomics offering and support AI-driven research workflows. Waters acquires MOBILion Systems
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised its price target to $500 from $460 and reiterated an “overweight” rating, signaling confidence in further upside. KeyCorp rating and price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary identifying laboratory and research-instrument suppliers as beneficiaries of AI-related demand may support interest in Waters, but it is a broader sector theme rather than a company-specific catalyst. Jim Cramer on emerging technology companies
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a potential headwind: recent analysis questions whether Waters is fully priced, suggesting strong results and expectations may already be reflected in the shares. Is Waters fully priced?

About Waters

Waters Corporation NYSE: WAT develops and manufactures analytical technologies used to measure, identify and characterize chemical and biological substances. Its customers include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, industrial manufacturers, academic and government laboratories, and organizations involved in food, environmental and clinical testing.

The company's product portfolio includes high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, chromatography columns and consumables, and laboratory software for data management and analysis.

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