Cetera Investment Advisers Grows Stock Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Cetera Investment Advisers more than doubled its Waters stake to 13,097 shares, valued at approximately $3.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.01% of Waters stock.
• Waters beat second-quarter expectations with adjusted EPS of $3.05 and revenue of roughly $1.645 billion, while organic revenue increased 7% year over year. Management raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS forecast to $14.45–$14.65 and revenue outlook to approximately $6.415–$6.476 billion.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average price target of $402.47, although third-quarter revenue guidance came in below consensus at its midpoint, potentially limiting near-term upside.

Cetera Investment Advisers increased its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 121.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,097 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 7,172 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers' holdings in Waters were worth $3,900,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its stake in Waters by 25.4% during the 1st quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 138,423 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $41,222,000 after acquiring an additional 28,074 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise grew its position in Waters by 329.0% in the 4th quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 4,294 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,631,000 after purchasing an additional 3,293 shares during the period. Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. purchased a new stake in Waters during the 1st quarter valued at $942,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 106.7% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,751 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,045,000 after buying an additional 1,420 shares during the period. Finally, M&T Bank Corp boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 1,662.4% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 64,273 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $24,413,000 after buying an additional 60,626 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on WAT. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Waters from $380.00 to $425.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an "outperform" rating and a $425.00 target price for the company. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "hold" rating and issued a $350.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised 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. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $402.47.

Waters News Roundup

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 analyst consensus and rising from $2.95 a year earlier. Revenue reached $1.645 billion, above the high end of the company’s prior outlook, with organic revenue up 7% reported and 9% in constant currency. Waters Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS forecast to $14.45-$14.65 and revenue outlook to approximately $6.415-$6.476 billion, broadly ahead of or in line with existing expectations. The higher forecast reflects strong laboratory-equipment and diagnostics demand, as well as contributions from acquired businesses. Waters Lifts Annual Forecasts on Strong Lab-Equipment and Diagnostics Demand
• Positive Sentiment: Management cited 8% instrument growth, double-digit chemistry-consumables growth and improving pharmaceutical and applied-market demand, indicating that the end-market recovery is becoming more widespread. An analyst at William Blair maintained a Buy rating, pointing to recovery potential and acquisition synergies. Analyst Maintains Buy on Waters
• Neutral Sentiment: Third-quarter guidance calls for adjusted EPS of $3.95-$4.05, near the $4.01 consensus, while revenue guidance of $1.7-$1.8 billion has a midpoint below the $1.8 billion expectation. This may limit near-term upside despite the stronger full-year outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Waters posted a GAAP loss of $1.39 per share, compared with a $2.47 profit a year earlier, but the result was affected by acquisition-related items; adjusted EPS remained profitable and improved year over year. Waters Reports Second Quarter 2026 Revenue

Waters Price Performance

WAT opened at $395.15 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $371.03 and a 200 day moving average of $345.01. Waters Corporation has a 52-week low of $275.05 and a 52-week high of $414.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market cap of $38.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.21, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.19.

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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.62 billion. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The business's revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.95 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current year.

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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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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