Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Cuts Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Daiwa Securities cut its Waters position by 18.5% in the second quarter, selling 4,908 shares and retaining 21,686 shares valued at approximately $8.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.01% of Waters’ stock.
• Waters exceeded quarterly expectations with adjusted EPS of $3.05 versus the $3.01 consensus and revenue of $1.65 billion versus $1.62 billion expected. Revenue increased 113.3% year over year, and the company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $14.45–$14.65.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $420.35; RBC and Barclays recently raised their targets to $475 and $460, respectively.

Daiwa Securities Group Inc. lowered its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 18.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 21,686 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 4,908 shares during the period. Daiwa Securities Group Inc.'s holdings in Waters were worth $8,133,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Waters by 112.9% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,269 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $471,000 after acquiring an additional 673 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC boosted its position in Waters by 2.9% during the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $386,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in Waters by 3.6% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 200,051 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $73,733,000 after purchasing an additional 6,976 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in Waters by 16.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,126 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $415,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the second quarter valued at approximately $232,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Waters

In other Waters news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of Waters stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total transaction of $1,442,930.44. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 17,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,086,515.52. The trade was a 16.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Waters Price Performance

NYSE:WAT opened at $411.88 on Friday. Waters Corporation has a one year low of $282.77 and a one year high of $420.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 1.86. The stock has a market cap of $40.47 billion, a PE ratio of 102.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.19. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $377.18 and a 200 day moving average price of $346.31.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.62 billion. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%.The firm's revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business 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. Equities research analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Waters from $435.00 to $475.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $425.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $420.35.

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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