Newport Trust Company LLC Lowers Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Newport Trust Company LLC sold 1,744 shares of Waters Corporation, reducing its stake by 0.9%, leaving it with approximately 182,761 shares valued at $67.36 million.
• Waters Corporation reported Q2 earnings of $2.95 EPS, surpassing analyst expectations, with revenue of $771.33 million, indicating an 8.8% year-over-year growth.
• Research analysts have a consensus rating of "Hold" on Waters Corporation, with an average price target of $378.73, reflecting varied opinions on the company's stock performance.

Newport Trust Company LLC trimmed its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 0.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 182,761 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,744 shares during the period. Newport Trust Company LLC owned 0.31% of Waters worth $67,360,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Olde Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Waters in the first quarter worth $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in Waters in the first quarter worth $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in Waters by 118.9% in the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Waters by 5,200.0% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Waters in the first quarter worth $41,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WAT has been the topic of several analyst reports. Bank of America boosted their target price on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Finally, Scotiabank reaffirmed a "sector outperform" rating and set a $465.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Friday, July 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $378.73.

Waters Stock Performance

WAT stock traded up $11.49 during trading on Friday, reaching $301.93. The stock had a trading volume of 500,262 shares, compared to its average volume of 814,997. The stock's 50 day moving average is $314.26 and its two-hundred day moving average is $341.59. The firm has a market cap of $17.97 billion, a PE ratio of 27.23, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.04. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

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

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.