Liontrust Investment Partners LLP Has $1.80 Million Stock Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Liontrust Investment Partners LLP reduced its holdings in Waters Corporation by 20.1%, selling 1,230 shares in the first quarter, leaving them with 4,890 shares valued at $1,802,000.
• Several institutional investors, including Vanguard Group Inc. and Massachusetts Financial Services Co., have increased their stakes in Waters Corporation, with institutional ownership now at 94.01%.
• Waters Corporation's stock has seen a recent price target shift from analysts, with Wells Fargo cutting their target from $330.00 to $315.00, while Scotiabank set a higher target of $465.00.

Liontrust Investment Partners LLP lessened its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 20.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,890 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,230 shares during the period. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP's holdings in Waters were worth $1,802,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Waters during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in Waters during the first quarter worth about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in Waters by 118.9% during the 1st 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 boosted its stake 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 worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT traded down $2.7450 during trading on Thursday, reaching $293.9850. The company had a trading volume of 135,751 shares, compared to its average volume of 613,053. The stock has a market cap of $17.50 billion, a PE ratio of 26.52, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.75. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The business's 50 day moving average price is $316.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $344.14.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Scotiabank restated a "sector outperform" rating and set a $465.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research note on Friday, July 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 price target on Waters and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price objective on shares of Waters and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waters presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price 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.