Marks Group Wealth Management Inc Increases Stock Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Marks Group Wealth Management boosted its Waters Corporation stake by 325.5% in the first quarter, ending with 4,481 shares valued at about $1.33 million.
• Other institutional investors also added to or opened positions in Waters, and hedge funds and institutions now own 94.01% of the company’s stock.
• Waters reported stronger-than-expected Q1 results, with EPS of $2.70 and revenue of $1.27 billion, while analysts currently rate the stock Moderate Buy with an average price target of $401.60.

Marks Group Wealth Management Inc increased its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 325.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,481 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 3,428 shares during the quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc's holdings in Waters were worth $1,334,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Waters by 63.6% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 528,908 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $157,509,000 after purchasing an additional 205,678 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 11.8% in the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 3,780 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,126,000 after buying an additional 398 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at about $54,000. SouthState Bank Corp boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 3,654.5% during the first quarter. SouthState Bank Corp now owns 413 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $123,000 after buying an additional 402 shares during the period. Finally, Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 295.9% during the first quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 4,347 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,294,000 after buying an additional 3,249 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on WAT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Waters from $380.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Bank of America lifted their target price on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on Waters in a report on Friday, June 26th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Waters from $355.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $401.60.

Waters Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $378.07 on Friday. Waters Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $414.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $361.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $346.38. The company has a market cap of $37.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.04, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.20.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.25 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current year.

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.

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