Ancora Advisors LLC Boosts Stock Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Ancora Advisors increased its Waters stake by 82.1% in the second quarter, owning 16,543 shares valued at approximately $6.2 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.01% of the company.
• Waters reported quarterly revenue of $1.65 billion and adjusted EPS of $3.05, topping analyst estimates, while revenue rose 113.3% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $14.45–$14.65.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $424.35; shares recently traded at $405.58.

Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 82.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,543 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 7,457 shares during the quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC's holdings in Waters were worth $6,204,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. bought a new position in Waters in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT grew its holdings in Waters by 121.2% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vision Retirement LLC purchased a new stake in Waters during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Performance

Waters stock opened at $405.58 on Wednesday. The company's 50-day moving average price is $389.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $349.76. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $282.77 and a twelve month high of $426.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $39.85 billion, a PE ratio of 101.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.19.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.95 EPS. The business's revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In other news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the sale, the director owned 17,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on WAT. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $435.00 to $475.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 price objective on Waters in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on Waters in a report on Friday, June 26th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 target price on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $424.35.

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.

Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.

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