New York State Common Retirement Fund decreased its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 17.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 47,919 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 10,300 shares during the period. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned approximately 0.08% of Waters worth $17,662,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 1.0% in the first quarter. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA now owns 3,155 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,163,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 744 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $276,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Claret Asset Management Corp lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 3.6% in the fourth quarter. Claret Asset Management Corp now owns 1,103 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $409,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Lido Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 1,734 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $643,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MainStreet Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. MainStreet Investment Advisors LLC now owns 3,381 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,254,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.
Waters Stock Performance
Shares of Waters stock traded down $9.53 on Friday, reaching $287.39. 717,056 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 500,753. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.81. The company's 50-day moving average is $345.58 and its two-hundred day moving average is $361.49. The firm has a market cap of $17.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.86 and a beta of 1.10. Waters Corporation has a 1-year low of $284.65 and a 1-year high of $423.56.
Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $661.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $655.50 million. Waters had a return on equity of 41.70% and a net margin of 22.02%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.21 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
WAT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Waters from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 5th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. KeyCorp upgraded Waters from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $460.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 31st. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 price target on Waters and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Barclays cut their price target on Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Waters presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $381.94.
Read Our Latest Report on WAT
Waters Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
Featured Stories

Before you consider Waters, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Waters wasn't on the list.
While Waters currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Discover the next wave of investment opportunities with our report, 7 Stocks That Will Be Magnificent in 2025. Explore companies poised to replicate the growth, innovation, and value creation of the tech giants dominating today's markets.
Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.
Link copied to clipboard.