5,002 Shares in Waters Corporation $WAT Purchased by Hahn Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Hahn Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Waters Corporation in Q1, purchasing 5,002 shares valued at about $1.49 million. The position represents 0.9% of its portfolio and is its 28th largest holding.
• Several other institutional investors also increased their holdings in Waters, and hedge funds now own 94.01% of the company’s stock. Recent activity included large percentage increases from firms such as SG Americas Securities LLC and M&T Bank Corp.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on Waters, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $401.60. The company also reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, including EPS of $2.70 versus $2.31 expected, and raised its guidance for fiscal 2026.

Hahn Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 5,002 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $1,490,000. Waters comprises 0.9% of Hahn Capital Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of Waters by 543.8% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 37,244 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $14,146,000 after purchasing an additional 31,459 shares during the last quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its holdings in Waters by 329.0% in the fourth quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 4,294 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,631,000 after buying an additional 3,293 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its stake in Waters by 15.8% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 13,550 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $5,177,000 after buying an additional 1,848 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its stake in Waters by 106.7% during the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,751 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,045,000 after buying an additional 1,420 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M&T Bank Corp lifted its holdings in Waters by 1,662.4% during the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 64,273 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $24,413,000 after buying an additional 60,626 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Waters from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Barclays upped their price target on Waters from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Waters from $355.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, HSBC increased their target price on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $401.60.

Waters Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of Waters stock opened at $368.82 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $362.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $346.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.86, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.20. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.25 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 91.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Waters Company 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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