D.A. Davidson & CO. Buys 14,709 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• D.A. Davidson & CO. boosted its Waters Corporation stake by 453.4% in the first quarter, buying 14,709 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 17,953 shares worth about $5.35 million.
• Waters reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $2.70 beating estimates of $2.31 and revenue of $1.27 billion topping expectations. The company also issued Q2 2026 and full-year 2026 guidance above current analyst expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with several firms raising price targets and the stock carrying a Moderate Buy consensus rating and average target price of $401.60.

D.A. Davidson & CO. raised its position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 453.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,953 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 14,709 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in Waters were worth $5,346,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of WAT. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its position in shares of Waters by 121.2% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Waters in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in Waters in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. HSBC increased their target price on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $425.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Three investment 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's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $401.60.

Waters Trading Down 2.5%

Shares of Waters stock opened at $368.82 on Friday. 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 Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $414.15. The firm has a market cap of $36.21 billion, a PE ratio of 46.86, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $362.09 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $346.54.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.25 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue 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. Analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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