Waters (NYSE:WAT) Stock Price Target Raised at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan raised its Waters price target to $470 from $435 but maintained a neutral rating; the target implied about 0.12% downside from the previous close.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive: Waters has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average target price of $472.61.
• Waters beat quarterly estimates, reporting adjusted EPS of $4.10 versus $4.00 expected and revenue of $1.77 billion versus $1.75 billion; shares rose 2.3% in Wednesday trading.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) had its target price raised by investment analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $435.00 to $470.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the medical instruments supplier's stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s target price points to a potential downside of 0.12% from the company's previous close.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on shares of Waters from $450.00 to $455.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Waters from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their target price for the company from $400.00 to $480.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. HSBC boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $450.00 to $455.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Waters from $456.00 to $495.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $472.61.

Waters Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of NYSE WAT traded up $10.65 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $470.55. 646,606 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 968,441. The company's fifty day moving average is $432.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $371.16. 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 has a fifty-two week low of $282.77 and a fifty-two week high of $482.28. The stock has a market cap of $46.23 billion, a PE ratio of 117.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.16.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.00 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.75 billion. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 120.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.40 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Waters will post 14.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kestra Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in Waters by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 783 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $344,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,273,000. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the third quarter valued at about $5,308,000. StoneRidge PMG Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the third quarter valued at about $485,000. Finally, Hohimer Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the third quarter worth about $589,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

More Waters News

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target to $525 from $475 and maintained an “outperform” rating. KeyCorp also lifted its target, to $500 from $460, with an “overweight” rating—both revisions signal greater analyst confidence. Royal Bank of Canada price target update KeyCorp rating
• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS of $4.10 topped the roughly $4.00 consensus, and revenue of $1.77 billion exceeded estimates. Waters reported 9% organic revenue growth and raised its 2026 outlook, providing a key fundamental reason for investor optimism. Waters Q3 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined a 2027 framework targeting a 29.2% adjusted operating margin and a path to high-single-digit growth, supporting the longer-term outlook. Waters 2027 framework
• Positive Sentiment: Waters acquired MOBILion Systems to add high-resolution ion-mobility technology to its mass spectrometry portfolio, expanding its proteomics capabilities. The CEO also pointed to AI-related demand for lab tools as drugmakers seek to accelerate research. MOBILion acquisition
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent valuation-focused article raises the question of whether WAT’s shares already reflect its improved outlook. That may temper enthusiasm, particularly given the stock’s elevated valuation. Waters valuation discussion

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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