Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Shares Bought by Allianz Asset Management GmbH

Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 57.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,646 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 2,421 shares during the quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH's holdings in Waters were worth $2,450,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Olde Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings 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 raised its holdings 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, Mizuho Bank Ltd. bought a new position in Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $67,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of Waters stock traded up $2.01 on Friday, reaching $290.77. 1,201,345 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,116,492. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $279.61 and a twelve month high of $423.56. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.39, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $333.69 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $355.87.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.03. Waters had a return on equity of 41.70% and a net margin of 22.02%. The firm had revenue of $661.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $655.50 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.21 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, June 26th. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Scotiabank reiterated a "sector outperform" rating and issued a $465.00 target price on shares of Waters in a report on Friday, July 11th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded shares of Waters from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $420.00 to $330.00 in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $381.94.

About Waters

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.