Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich Has $17.15 Million Position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)

Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich raised its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 13,272.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 45,467 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 45,127 shares during the period. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich owned approximately 0.08% of Waters worth $17,154,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Olde Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Waters by 118.9% during the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its stake in Waters by 5,200.0% during the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Price Performance

NYSE:WAT traded up $5.27 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $303.74. 605,513 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 583,970. The company has a market capitalization of $18.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.10. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $279.61 and a 12 month high of $423.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $339.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $358.68.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $661.71 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $655.50 million. Waters had a net margin of 22.02% and a return on equity of 41.70%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.21 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on WAT shares. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Monday, July 14th. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 price target on shares of Waters and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $381.94.

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.