Hsbc Holdings PLC Has $148.92 Million Stock Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• HSBC Holdings reduced its Waters stake by 14.6% in the second quarter, selling 67,690 shares and retaining 397,310 shares worth approximately $148.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.01% of Waters.
• Waters exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $3.05 in EPS versus the $3.01 consensus and $1.65 billion in revenue versus $1.62 billion expected. Revenue increased 113.3% year over year, and the company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $14.45 to $14.65.
• Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus on Waters, with an average price target of $420.35. Shares opened at $414.41, near the company’s 52-week high of $421.74.

Hsbc Holdings PLC decreased its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 14.6% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 397,310 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 67,690 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned approximately 0.40% of Waters worth $148,919,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its stake in shares of Waters by 121.2% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. DV Equities LLC acquired a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in Waters in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV acquired a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Performance

NYSE:WAT opened at $414.41 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.72 billion, a PE ratio of 103.34, a PEG ratio of 2.39 and a beta of 1.19. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $282.77 and a 1 year high of $421.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $383.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $347.45.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.62 billion. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $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. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAT has been the subject of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. HSBC raised their price objective on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, June 26th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 target price for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus set a $420.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $420.35.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 17,808 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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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