KBC Group NV Boosts Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• KBC Group NV increased its stake in Waters by 31.2% in Q4, buying 3,994 shares to hold 16,777 shares valued at about $6.37 million.
• Director Wei Jiang purchased 500 shares at $289.46 on March 16, boosting her ownership by 17% to 3,441 shares; insiders now own 0.63% of the company.
• Waters slightly beat Q results (EPS $4.53 vs. $4.50; revenue $932.36M) and set FY2026 guidance of $14.30–$14.50 EPS, while analysts' average price target is $387.53 with a "Moderate Buy" consensus.

KBC Group NV boosted its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 31.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 16,777 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 3,994 shares during the period. KBC Group NV's holdings in Waters were worth $6,372,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of WAT. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in Waters in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new position in Waters in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Waters by 115.4% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 112 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. purchased a new position in Waters in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in Waters by 510.3% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 177 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In related news, Director Wei Jiang purchased 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $289.46 per share, with a total value of $144,730.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,441 shares of the company's stock, valued at $996,031.86. This represents a 17.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.63% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Up 2.6%

WAT stock opened at $327.44 on Friday. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $414.15. 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 company has a market capitalization of $32.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.40, a PEG ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.20. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $311.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $352.65.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.50 by $0.03. Waters had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 34.79%. The business had revenue of $932.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $928.17 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $4.10 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. 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, equities research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Evercore raised shares of Waters from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $350.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $425.00 price objective for the company. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $440.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Robert W. Baird set a $363.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, HSBC assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $460.00 price objective for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $387.53.

About Waters

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.

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.