Bank of Nova Scotia Has $4.07 Million Stock Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Bank of Nova Scotia increased its Waters stake by 38.7% in the first quarter, owning 13,658 shares valued at approximately $4.07 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.01% of Waters’ stock.
• Waters reported quarterly EPS of $2.70, beating estimates of $2.31, while revenue reached $1.27 billion and rose 91.4% year over year. The company guided for fiscal 2026 EPS of $14.40–$14.60.
• Analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating and an average price target of $401.60, compared with shares trading at $384.67.

Bank of Nova Scotia boosted its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 38.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,658 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 3,809 shares during the quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia's holdings in Waters were worth $4,067,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WAT. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT grew its stake in Waters by 121.2% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Vision Retirement LLC purchased a new position in Waters in the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Louisbourg Investments Inc. acquired a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Finally, Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $384.67 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.20. The business has a 50-day moving average of $367.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $345.48. Waters Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $414.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.13.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.25 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WAT shares. Piper Sandler started coverage on Waters in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $400.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Waters from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, June 26th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "hold" rating and issued a $350.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $401.60.

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.

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