ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. Buys Shares of 15,654 Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)

Key Points

• ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. acquired 15,654 shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) valued at approximately $5,769,000 in the first quarter.
• Waters has received a consensus rating of "Hold" from analysts, with a price target averaging $378.73 and varying targets from $315.00 to $465.00.
• In its recent earnings report, Waters beat analysts' expectations with an EPS of $2.95 and revenue of $771.33 million, reflecting an 8.8% year-over-year increase.

ASR Vermogensbeheer N.V. bought a new position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 15,654 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $5,769,000.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Waters in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Waters in the fourth quarter valued at about $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 valued at $30,000 after buying 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 valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional acquired a new stake in Waters in the first quarter valued at about $75,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:WAT traded up $2.96 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $280.96. 789,182 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,313,523. The stock has a market cap of $16.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.33, a P/E/G ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. Waters Corporation has a 12-month low of $275.05 and a 12-month high of $423.56. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $325.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $350.80.

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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.93 by $0.02. Waters had a return on equity of 38.60% and a net margin of 21.71%. The business had revenue of $771.33 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $745.96 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.63 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WAT has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Scotiabank reissued a "sector outperform" rating and set a $465.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 price target on Waters and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen lowered Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $378.73.

Waters 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.