Strs Ohio Buys Shares of 2,835 Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Waters Corporation, purchasing 2,835 shares valued at approximately $1,045,000 in the first quarter.
• Waters Corporation reported $2.95 EPS for the last quarter, beating expectations, with revenues of $771.33 million, which is an 8.8% increase year-over-year.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of "Hold" for Waters' stock, with a target price averaging $378.73.

Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 2,835 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $1,045,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Olde Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Waters in the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in Waters in the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 118.9% during the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 5,200.0% during the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WAT. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 target price on Waters and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 target price on Waters and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 26th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $378.73.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT traded down $4.95 during trading on Friday, reaching $301.43. 2,012,717 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 586,122. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.22. Waters Corporation has a 52-week low of $275.05 and a 52-week high of $423.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a 50-day moving average of $294.95 and a 200-day moving average of $330.89.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. Waters had a return on equity of 38.60% and a net margin of 21.71%.The company had revenue of $771.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $745.96 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.63 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 3.150-3.250 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 12.950-13.050 EPS. Analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.