Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Raises Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 19.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 130,109 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 20,891 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 0.13% of Waters worth $48,796,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new position in Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Vision Retirement LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Bollard Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Stock Performance

WAT opened at $406.94 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $373.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $345.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The firm has a market cap of $39.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 101.48, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.19. Waters Corporation has a 1-year low of $275.05 and a 1-year high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.62 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.95 EPS. Waters's revenue for the quarter was up 113.3% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More Waters News

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waters reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.05 per share, exceeding the $3.01 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $1.65 billion versus expectations of $1.62 billion. Management issued third-quarter earnings guidance of $3.95–$4.05 per share and maintained full-year guidance of $14.45–$14.65 per share. Waters Corporation 2026 Q2 Results Earnings Call Presentation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable following the results. Barclays raised its price target to $460 and kept an “overweight” rating, while Morgan Stanley set a $430 target. Waters has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $418.10. Waters analyst ratings and price targets
• Positive Sentiment: Recent institutional activity included new positions from several investment firms, and institutions collectively own approximately 94% of Waters’ outstanding shares, signaling substantial professional-investor support. Waters insider and institutional activity
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock is trading close to its 52-week high and well above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Its price-to-earnings ratio of about 101 suggests investors are already pricing in significant future growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares for approximately $1.44 million, reducing his direct ownership by 16.92%. The transaction does not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s outlook, but it may create modest sentiment pressure. Waters director stock sale

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In other Waters news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at $7,086,515.52. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have commented on WAT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Waters in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Waters in a report on Friday, June 26th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $400.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, HSBC increased their price objective on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $418.10.

Waters 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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