Ieq Capital LLC Has $1.76 Million Stock Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Ieq Capital LLC increased its stake in Waters Corporation by 160.3%, purchasing an additional 2,939 shares, bringing its total holdings to 4,772 shares valued at approximately $1.76 million.
• Waters Corporation reported a net margin of 21.71% and a year-over-year revenue growth of 8.8%, with earnings per share of $2.95 for the last quarter, exceeding expectations.
• Several analysts have different ratings for Waters stock, with a consensus price target of $378.73, reflecting a mix of "Buy" and "Hold" recommendations.

Ieq Capital LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 160.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 4,772 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 2,939 shares during the quarter. Ieq Capital LLC's holdings in Waters were worth $1,759,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of WAT. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA increased its holdings in Waters by 1.0% in the first quarter. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA now owns 3,155 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,163,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. FourThought Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in Waters by 5.1% in the first quarter. FourThought Financial Partners LLC now owns 658 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $243,000 after buying an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its holdings in Waters by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 744 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $276,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Lido Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Waters by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 1,734 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $643,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Finally, MainStreet Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. MainStreet Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,381 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,254,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of WAT traded up $10.00 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $300.06. 661,671 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 613,344. The company has a market capitalization of $17.86 billion, a PE ratio of 27.06, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.07. 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 fifty day simple moving average of $306.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $337.05. Waters Corporation has a one year low of $275.05 and a one year high of $423.56.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WAT. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 26th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price objective on Waters and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Bank of America boosted their price objective on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. One 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $378.73.

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.