Baird Financial Group Inc. Grows Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Baird Financial Group Inc. has increased its holdings in Waters Corporation by 6.9%, acquiring an additional 2,341 shares during the first quarter, bringing its total to 36,135 shares valued at approximately $13.3 million.
• Waters Corporation reported earnings of $2.95 EPS for the last quarter, surpassing analyst expectations and showing an 8.8% revenue increase year-over-year, with Q3 2025 guidance set between $3.150-3.250 EPS.
• The stock of Waters Corporation, traded under the ticker WAT, has a current market capitalization of $17.63 billion and is currently trading at $296.22, down 1.8% as of the latest session.

Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 6.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 36,135 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 2,341 shares during the quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.06% of Waters worth $13,318,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in shares of Waters by 118.9% during the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Waters by 5,200.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Trading Up 2.2%

NYSE WAT traded up $6.59 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $306.28. The company had a trading volume of 504,612 shares, compared to its average volume of 559,928. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $304.79 and a 200 day moving average of $335.79. 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. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.07.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $771.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $745.96 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on WAT shares. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 26th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price target on shares of Waters and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Scotiabank reissued a "sector outperform" rating and set a $465.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $378.73.

About Waters

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.