Candriam S.C.A. Boosts Stock Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Candriam S.C.A. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 294.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 25,766 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 19,232 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in Waters were worth $7,673,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its position in Waters by 121.2% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Louisbourg Investments Inc. purchased a new position in Waters during the first quarter valued at $30,000. First United Bank & Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at about $31,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. increased its stake in shares of Waters by 10,200.0% during the first quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 103 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SHP Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NYSE WAT opened at $377.35 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $37.05 billion, a PE ratio of 47.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Waters Corporation has a 12-month low of $275.05 and a 12-month high of $414.15. The company has a 50-day moving average of $358.80 and a 200 day moving average of $346.64.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The business's revenue was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WAT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada started coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. HSBC increased their target price on Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Waters in a research note on Friday, June 26th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $400.37.

Waters Company 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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