Alliancebernstein L.P. Purchases 416,669 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake in Waters Corporation by 15.7% during the 1st quarter, now owning approximately 5.16% of the company, valued at over $1.13 billion.
• Waters Corporation reported $2.95 earnings per share for the latest quarter, exceeding expectations and indicating an 8.8% year-over-year revenue growth.
• Analysts have mixed ratings on Waters' stock, with a consensus price target of $378.73 and various firms adjusting their target prices in recent months.

Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 15.7% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,070,671 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 416,669 shares during the quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. owned about 5.16% of Waters worth $1,131,757,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Waters in the first quarter worth $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in Waters in the first quarter worth $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Waters by 118.9% in the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted 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 worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of Waters stock traded up $1.32 on Monday, hitting $307.64. The company had a trading volume of 235,511 shares, compared to its average volume of 610,372. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.72, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.07. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $423.56. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average of $304.79 and a 200-day moving average of $335.48.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $771.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $745.96 million. Waters had a return on equity of 38.60% and a net margin of 21.71%.Waters's quarterly revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.63 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 3.150-3.250 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 12.950-13.050 EPS. Research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on WAT shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. One investment 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, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $378.73.

Waters Company 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.