Empowered Funds LLC Boosts Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC increased its Waters stake by 431.2% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 7,958 shares valued at approximately $2.37 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.01% of the company.
• Waters exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $3.05 versus the $3.01 consensus and revenue of $1.65 billion versus $1.62 billion expected. Revenue grew 113.3% year over year, and the company raised its full-year 2026 adjusted EPS outlook to $14.45–$14.65.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $418.10, though Wells Fargo maintained an Equal Weight rating and third-quarter revenue guidance was slightly below consensus expectations.

Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 431.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,958 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 6,460 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC's holdings in Waters were worth $2,370,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. J. R. Prunier Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter worth approximately $260,000. Rathbones Group PLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter valued at $938,000. DV Trading LLC acquired a new stake in Waters during the 1st quarter worth $250,000. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in Waters by 77.2% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,074 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $320,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in Waters by 10,340.0% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 3,654 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,088,000 after acquiring an additional 3,619 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Performance

NYSE WAT opened at $398.14 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Waters Corporation has a 52-week low of $275.05 and a 52-week high of $414.15. The business's 50-day moving average price is $372.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $345.04. The firm has a market cap of $39.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 99.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.19.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%.The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.95 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.52 earnings per share for the current year.

Waters News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waters reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $3.05, above the $3.01 consensus and up from $2.95 a year earlier. Revenue reached $1.645 billion, exceeding estimates of $1.62 billion and the company’s guidance range. Waters Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, 2026 Revenue Growth View Raised
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its full-year 2026 outlook, including reported revenue guidance of approximately $6.415 billion to $6.476 billion and adjusted EPS guidance of $14.45 to $14.65. Management cited broad-based growth across its organic operations and recently acquired Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions businesses. Waters Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Organic revenue rose 7% as reported, or 9% in constant currency. Analytical Sciences instrument growth reached 8%, while chemistry consumables posted double-digit growth, supported by improving pharmaceutical and industrial markets. The results suggest the end-market recovery is expanding beyond a limited set of customers.
• Positive Sentiment: William Blair maintained a Buy rating, citing broad-based end-market recovery and expected synergies from the acquired businesses. Recent institutional activity also showed substantial share additions by BlackRock, State Street and other large investors, although these holdings are not a direct near-term trading signal. Analyst Maintains Buy on Waters
• Neutral Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target from $370 to $400 but retained an Equal Weight rating, implying limited additional upside at recent trading levels. Wells Fargo Raises Waters Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue guidance of $1.7 billion to $1.8 billion is slightly below the $1.8 billion consensus midpoint expectation, while Waters reported a GAAP loss tied largely to acquisition-related impacts. However, adjusted profitability remained above expectations.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have issued reports on WAT. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $425.00 price objective for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on Waters in a report on Friday, June 26th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 target price for the company. Barclays boosted their target price on Waters from $425.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 price target on Waters in a research report on Wednesday. Three equities 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $418.10.

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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