Northern Trust Corp Purchases 15,563 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in Waters Corporation by purchasing an additional 15,563 shares, bringing its total ownership to 739,630 shares valued at approximately $272.6 million.
• Waters Corporation reported a net margin of 21.71% and earnings per share of $2.95 for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.93.
• Wall Street analysts have mixed ratings for Waters, with one Strong Buy, five Buy, and nine Hold ratings, and an average price target of $378.73.

Northern Trust Corp grew its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 2.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 739,630 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 15,563 shares during the quarter. Northern Trust Corp owned 1.24% of Waters worth $272,605,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Waters by 118.9% in the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Waters by 5,200.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter worth $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price target on shares of Waters and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. Scotiabank reiterated a "sector outperform" rating and set a $465.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 price objective on shares of Waters and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Finally, UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $378.73.

Waters Stock Performance

Waters stock opened at $296.6610 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $316.22 and a 200-day moving average of $344.14. The company has a market capitalization of $17.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.04. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $423.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.22.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 firm had revenue of $771.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $745.96 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.63 EPS. The company'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. On average, equities research analysts predict 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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.