Jones Kertz & Associates Inc. Makes New $4.87 Million Investment in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Jones Kertz & Associates acquired 12,808 shares of Waters (≈$4.87 million) in Q4, representing about 2.5% of its portfolio and making WAT its 11th largest holding.
• Waters beat Q results (EPS $4.53 vs. $4.50) with revenue up 6.9% YoY and set FY2026 EPS guidance of 14.30–14.50 (Q1: 2.25–2.35); analysts' consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $387.53.
• Institutional investors own 94.01% of WAT while insiders hold 0.82%, and director Wei Jiang bought 500 shares at $289.46, increasing his stake by 17%.

Jones Kertz & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 12,808 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $4,865,000. Waters makes up about 2.5% of Jones Kertz & Associates Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest position.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WAT. Cardinal Strategic Wealth Guidance purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $237,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its stake in shares of Waters by 12.7% during the fourth quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 9,741 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $3,700,000 after purchasing an additional 1,094 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in shares of Waters by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 61,588 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $23,393,000 after purchasing an additional 3,287 shares during the period. Birch Hill Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $228,000. Finally, Lecap Asset Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $672,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Performance

Waters stock opened at $335.59 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $32.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.08 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $311.89 and a 200-day moving average of $352.98. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $932.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $928.17 million. Waters had a return on equity of 34.79% and a net margin of 20.30%.The business's revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.10 EPS. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WAT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. William Blair started coverage on Waters in a research note on Monday, January 5th. They set an "outperform" rating for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on Waters from $370.00 to $330.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Evercore upgraded Waters from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $350.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Waters from $423.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Sunday, February 22nd. Three equities research 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $387.53.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Wei Jiang bought 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $289.46 per share, for a total transaction of $144,730.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 3,441 shares in the company, valued at $996,031.86. This trade represents a 17.00% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.82% of the company's stock.

Waters Company 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.

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 reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.