Aberdeen Group plc Sells 188,672 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group plc significantly reduced its stake in Waters Corporation by 73.7%, selling 188,672 shares and retaining around 67,443 shares valued at approximately $24.4 million.
• Waters Corporation's stock is currently trading around $296.66, with a market cap of $17.66 billion and a P/E ratio of 26.75.
• Analysts have mixed views on Waters, with an average rating of "Hold" and a target price of approximately $378.73, as some institutions adjusted their positions in the company's shares.

Aberdeen Group plc lessened its holdings in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 73.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 67,443 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 188,672 shares during the quarter. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.11% of Waters worth $24,379,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in Waters during the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in Waters by 118.9% during the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the period. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Waters by 5,200.0% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Waters in the first quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WAT has been the subject of several research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 price target on shares of Waters and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, June 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $378.73.

Waters Stock Performance

WAT traded up $11.8210 during trading on Friday, hitting $302.2610. The stock had a trading volume of 368,570 shares, compared to its average volume of 614,863. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $315.06 and a 200-day moving average price of $343.31. Waters Corporation has a one year low of $275.05 and a one year high of $423.56. The firm has a market cap of $17.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.27, a P/E/G ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.04.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. The business had revenue of $771.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $745.96 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.63 earnings per share. Waters'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. As a group, research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

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.