Q1 Earnings Forecast for Waters Issued By Leerink Partnrs

Key Points

• Waters Corporation is expected to report earnings per share (EPS) of $2.51 for Q1 2026, while the full-year estimate is $12.86 per share.
• The company recently reported Q2 earnings of $2.95 EPS, exceeding expectations, with revenue of $771.33 million, an 8.8% year-over-year increase.
• A consensus of analysts has given Waters Corporation a rating of "Hold" with a price target of approximately $378.73.

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Leerink Partnrs issued their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for Waters in a research report issued on Monday, August 4th. Leerink Partnrs analyst P. Souda anticipates that the medical instruments supplier will earn $2.51 per share for the quarter. The consensus estimate for Waters' current full-year earnings is $12.86 per share. Leerink Partnrs also issued estimates for Waters' Q2 2026 earnings at $3.38 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $3.58 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $4.92 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $14.40 EPS.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.93 by $0.02. Waters had a return on equity of 38.60% and a net margin of 21.71%. The firm had revenue of $771.33 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $745.96 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.63 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

WAT has been the subject of a number of other reports. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 price objective on Waters and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 price objective on Waters and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $378.73.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT traded up $2.96 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $280.96. The company's stock had a trading volume of 789,182 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,313,523. Waters has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $423.56. The company has a market capitalization of $16.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $325.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $350.40.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 85.7% during the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,642 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $605,000 after purchasing an additional 758 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,986 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,101,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 4,813 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,774,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. CX Institutional bought a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $75,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 169.1% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 11,619 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $4,283,000 after purchasing an additional 7,301 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

About Waters

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.