AQR Capital Management LLC Raises Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 323.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 101,127 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 77,253 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC owned 0.17% of Waters worth $36,464,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Waters by 85.7% during the first quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,642 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $605,000 after purchasing an additional 758 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Waters by 4.6% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,986 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,101,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Waters by 4.1% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 4,813 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,774,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares during the period. CX Institutional bought a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth $75,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Waters by 169.1% in the first quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 11,619 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $4,283,000 after acquiring an additional 7,301 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waters Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of WAT stock traded down $5.70 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $296.75. 64,516 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 612,505. The firm has a market cap of $17.66 billion, a PE ratio of 26.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.07. The company's 50 day moving average is $300.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $333.97. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $423.56. 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 (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.93 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $771.33 million for 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%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm 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. On average, equities research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WAT shares. Wall Street Zen lowered Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 price target on Waters and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Bank of America boosted their target price on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently 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.