4,780 Shares in Waters Corporation $WAT Acquired by Hikari Power Ltd

Key Points

• Hikari Power Ltd acquired 4,780 Waters shares worth approximately $1.79 million in the second quarter, while other institutional investors also increased or initiated positions. Hedge funds and other institutions own 94.01% of Waters.
• Waters reported quarterly EPS of $3.05, beating estimates of $3.01, while revenue rose 113.3% year over year to $1.65 billion. The company provided Q3 2026 EPS guidance of $3.95–$4.05 and full-year guidance of $14.45–$14.65.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $420.35; ratings include three Strong Buys, nine Buys, and eight Holds. A company director separately sold 3,626 shares worth about $1.44 million.

Hikari Power Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 4,780 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $1,793,000. Waters accounts for about 0.2% of Hikari Power Ltd's investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd biggest holding.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in Waters by 112.9% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,269 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $471,000 after buying an additional 673 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC increased its position in shares of Waters by 2.9% in the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $386,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Waters by 3.6% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 200,051 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $73,733,000 after acquiring an additional 6,976 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Waters by 16.6% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,126 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $415,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Waters during the second quarter valued at about $232,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the company'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 value of $1,442,930.44. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares in the company, 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 SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on WAT. Bank of America raised their target price on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on Waters in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $400.00 price target for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price objective on Waters in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on Waters from $435.00 to $475.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $420.35.

Waters Price Performance

WAT stock opened at $411.88 on Monday. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $282.77 and a 1 year high of $420.26. The company has a market cap of $40.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 102.71, a PEG ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.19. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $377.18 and a 200 day moving average of $345.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.86 and a quick ratio of 1.29.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%.The business had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.62 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.95 EPS. The business's revenue was up 113.3% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.57 EPS for the current year.

Waters Profile

Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.

Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.

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