6,987 Waters Corporation $WAT Shares Purchased by Carderock Capital Management Inc.

Key Points

• Carderock Capital Management nearly doubled its Waters stake in the third quarter, purchasing 6,987 additional shares to own 14,404 shares valued at approximately $6.33 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.01% of the company.
• Waters reported quarterly earnings of $3.05 per share, beating estimates of $3.01, while revenue reached $1.65 billion and rose 113.3% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $14.45 to $14.65.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $443.79; TD Cowen and Goldman Sachs recently raised their targets to $515.

Carderock Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 94.2% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 14,404 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 6,987 shares during the period. Waters accounts for 1.5% of Carderock Capital Management Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Carderock Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Waters were worth $6,329,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Waters during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. First Bancorp Inc ME bought a new position in shares of Waters in the second quarter worth approximately $30,000. Caitlin John LLC boosted its position in shares of Waters by 43.9% in the second quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 82 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth $27,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $453.42 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $44.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 113.07, a P/E/G ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 1.15. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $424.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $381.40. Waters Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $282.77 and a fifty-two week high of $465.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.86.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.62 billion. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.95 EPS. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on WAT shares. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Waters from $475.00 to $515.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 price target on Waters in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Waters from $465.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, September 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and set a $400.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Waters from $460.00 to $500.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $443.79.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Waters news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total transaction of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at $7,086,515.52. This trade represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Waters Profile

Waters Corporation NYSE: WAT develops and manufactures analytical technologies used to measure, identify and characterize chemical and biological substances. Its customers include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, industrial manufacturers, academic and government laboratories, and organizations involved in food, environmental and clinical testing.

The company's product portfolio includes high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, chromatography columns and consumables, and laboratory software for data management and analysis.

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