Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC Cuts Stock Position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)

Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC lessened its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 22.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,970 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,973 shares during the quarter. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC's holdings in Waters were worth $2,569,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in Waters by 129.3% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Waters by 5,200.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 54.3% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on WAT. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, June 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Waters from $355.00 to $374.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Bank of America increased their target price on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, KeyCorp upgraded Waters from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $460.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $388.00.

Waters Stock Performance

NYSE WAT opened at $355.52 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $21.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.26, a P/E/G ratio of 3.53 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.81. Waters Corporation has a 52-week low of $279.24 and a 52-week high of $423.56. The company has a fifty day moving average of $346.49 and a 200-day moving average of $365.42.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $661.71 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $655.50 million. Waters had a return on equity of 41.70% and a net margin of 22.02%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.21 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waters 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.

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