Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Shares Purchased by Ensign Peak Advisors Inc

Ensign Peak Advisors Inc raised its position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 186.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 57,183 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 37,234 shares during the period. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc owned approximately 0.10% of Waters worth $21,214,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Barclays PLC boosted its position in shares of Waters by 34.8% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 159,995 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $57,579,000 after buying an additional 41,339 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 74.5% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 70,507 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $25,189,000 after purchasing an additional 30,101 shares during the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 235.7% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Waters by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 3,774 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,358,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Graypoint LLC bought a new position in Waters during the 4th quarter valued at $203,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT traded down $12.47 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $346.55. The stock had a trading volume of 621,010 shares, compared to its average volume of 477,383. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.65. Waters Co. has a 12 month low of $279.24 and a 12 month high of $423.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.62 billion, a PE ratio of 32.36, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $348.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $370.63.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.22 by $0.03. Waters had a return on equity of 46.31% and a net margin of 21.56%. The business had revenue of $661.71 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $655.50 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.21 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Waters Co. will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WAT. KeyCorp upgraded Waters from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $460.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Waters from $355.00 to $374.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded Waters from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $390.19.

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.