Waters Corporation $WAT Holdings Reduced by Gulf International Bank UK Ltd

Key Points

• Gulf International Bank UK Ltd reduced its stake in Waters Corporation by 29.9%, selling 1,379 shares, bringing its total holdings to 3,237 shares valued at approximately $1.19 million.
• Waters Corporation received various ratings from analysts, with a consensus target price of $378.73, suggesting a "Hold" recommendation by the majority of ten analysts.
• Despite selling shares, institutional investors still hold a significant 94.01% stake in Waters Corporation, with several funds initiating new stakes during the first quarter.

Gulf International Bank UK Ltd decreased its position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 29.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 3,237 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,379 shares during the quarter. Gulf International Bank UK Ltd's holdings in Waters were worth $1,193,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Olde Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 118.9% during the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 5,200.0% during the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CX Institutional purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth about $75,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have issued reports on WAT. Bank of America raised their price objective on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 target price on shares of Waters and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Scotiabank reiterated a "sector outperform" rating and set a $465.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research note on Friday, July 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waters presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $378.73.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of WAT stock traded down $1.16 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $295.57. 88,270 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 612,845. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $316.22 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $344.14. Waters Corporation has a 1-year low of $275.05 and a 1-year high of $423.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The firm has a market cap of $17.59 billion, a PE ratio of 26.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.04.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. The business had revenue of $771.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $745.96 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.63 EPS. The company's revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 3.150-3.250 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 12.950-13.050 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.