Independent Investors Inc. Sells 5,500 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Independent Investors Inc. sold 5,500 shares of Waters Corporation, reducing its stake by 17.3%, and currently holds 26,267 shares worth approximately $9.17 million.
• Waters Corporation reported Q2 earnings of $2.95 EPS, beating estimates by $0.02, with a revenue of $771.33 million, reflecting an 8.8% year-over-year increase.
• Analysts have mixed ratings on Waters, with an average price target of $380.43 and one analyst rating it as a "Strong Buy".

Independent Investors Inc. lessened its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 17.3% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 26,267 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 5,500 shares during the period. Waters comprises approximately 2.0% of Independent Investors Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. Independent Investors Inc.'s holdings in Waters were worth $9,168,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 118.9% in the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 5,200.0% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at about $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on WAT shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 price target on Waters and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. Scotiabank reaffirmed a "sector outperform" rating and issued a $465.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Friday, July 11th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Bank of America boosted 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $380.43.

Waters Price Performance

Waters stock opened at $299.72 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.03, a PEG ratio of 2.70 and a beta of 1.07. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $423.56. The business has a 50-day moving average of $295.45 and a 200-day moving average of $326.40. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.93 by $0.02. The company 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 for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $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. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.