AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs Acquires Shares of 3,019 Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs has acquired 3,019 shares of Waters Corporation, valued at approximately $1,054,000, during the first quarter of 2023.
• Waters has shown an 8.8% year-over-year revenue increase for the last quarter, reporting $771.33 million in revenue and exceeding earnings estimates.
• Despite a recent 2.3% decline in stock price, analysts have set an average price target of $378.73, with a mix of ratings including one Strong Buy, five Buys, and nine Holds.

AG2R LA Mondiale Gestion D Actifs purchased a new position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 3,019 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $1,054,000.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WAT shares. Scotiabank reissued a "sector outperform" rating and issued a $465.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research note on Friday, July 11th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price objective on Waters and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Waters currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $378.73.

Waters Stock Down 2.3%

Waters stock opened at $295.40 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.75 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $423.56. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $299.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is $332.74.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.93 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $771.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $745.96 million. Waters had a return on equity of 38.60% and a net margin of 21.71%.Waters's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.63 EPS. 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, equities analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.

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