Optas LLC Buys Shares of 826 Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Optas LLC bought a new stake in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 826 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $304,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Waters during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Waters by 129.3% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its position in Waters by 5,200.0% during the first 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in Waters in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Baird R W raised shares of Waters from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Wall Street Zen cut Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Waters from $415.00 to $360.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, KeyCorp raised Waters from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $460.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, March 31st. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $390.19.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $341.88 on Monday. Waters Co. has a twelve month low of $279.24 and a twelve month high of $423.56. The company has a market cap of $20.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.92, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.11. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $342.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $367.75. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its 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 the consensus estimate of $655.50 million. Waters had a return on equity of 46.31% and a net margin of 21.56%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.21 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Waters Co. 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.

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