Danske Bank A S Boosts Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Danske Bank A/S boosted its stake in Waters by 256.7% in Q4 to 76,639 shares (about $29.11M), while other institutions like Mawer, MFS, Invesco and Fundsmith also raised positions—institutional investors now own 94.01% of the stock.
• Waters beat Q4 estimates with EPS of $4.53 (vs. $4.50 est.) and revenue of $932.36M (vs. $928.17M), and set FY2026 guidance of 14.300–14.500 EPS (analysts expect ~14.38).
• Analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $387.53 (targets range widely), while the shares trade around $307 with a PE of 28.53 and a 1‑year range of $275.05–$414.15.

Danske Bank A S lifted its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 256.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 76,639 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 55,152 shares during the period. Danske Bank A S owned 0.13% of Waters worth $29,110,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WAT. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 225.5% during the 3rd quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,551,010 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $465,008,000 after acquiring an additional 1,074,449 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 44.3% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,689,693 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $806,397,000 after acquiring an additional 825,723 shares during the period. Veritas Asset Management LLP purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 3rd quarter worth $175,320,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 32.3% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,472,419 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $441,446,000 after acquiring an additional 359,596 shares during the period. Finally, Fundsmith LLP raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fundsmith LLP now owns 3,955,498 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,185,898,000 after acquiring an additional 347,091 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $307.22 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.16 billion, a PE ratio of 28.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.14. The firm's 50-day moving average is $309.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $351.85. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.50 by $0.03. Waters had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 34.79%. The company had revenue of $932.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $928.17 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.10 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. Analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.38 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In other news, Director Wei Jiang bought 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $289.46 per share, for a total transaction of $144,730.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 3,441 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $996,031.86. This represents a 17.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on WAT. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Waters from $415.00 to $355.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Robert W. Baird set a $363.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. William Blair initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Monday, January 5th. They issued an "outperform" rating on the stock. HSBC initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $460.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $440.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $387.53.

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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