American Century Companies Inc. Acquires 2,688 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Waters Corporation by 0.8%, owning approximately 335,275 shares valued at $123.57 million after acquiring an additional 2,688 shares.
• Waters Corporation reported earnings of $2.95 per share in the last quarter, slightly beating expectations, with revenue of $771.33 million, an increase of 8.8% year-over-year.
• Analysts have mixed ratings for Waters, with ten holding a "hold" rating, five a "buy" rating, and one a "strong buy," indicating a consensus price target of $378.73.

American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 0.8% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 335,275 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 2,688 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 0.56% of Waters worth $123,572,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Waters by 118.9% in the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its position in Waters by 5,200.0% during the 1st 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 stake in Waters during the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of Waters stock traded down $1.0590 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $296.6610. 565,645 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 616,302. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.75. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $317.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $344.47. The company has a market cap of $17.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.75, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.04.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $745.96 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $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. Equities analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WAT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Scotiabank reaffirmed a "sector outperform" rating and issued a $465.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price objective on shares of Waters and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 26th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waters has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target 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.