Park Avenue Securities LLC Buys New Shares in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Park Avenue Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Waters Corporation during the second quarter, purchasing 2,725 shares valued at approximately $951,000.
• Recent analyst ratings show mixed sentiments, with price targets for Waters being reduced by firms like Robert W. Baird and Wells Fargo, while the stock consensus rating remains a "Hold" with an average target price of $378.73.
• Waters Corporation reported a quarterly revenue of $771.33 million, surpassing estimates, and set Q3 2025 EPS guidance between 3.150-3.250.

Park Avenue Securities LLC bought a new stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 2,725 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $951,000.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have commented on WAT. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 target price on shares of Waters and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 26th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $378.73.

Waters Stock Up 1.4%

WAT stock opened at $291.95 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $17.38 billion, a PE ratio of 26.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.68 and a beta of 1.07. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $295.07 and a 200 day simple moving average of $327.78. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

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

Waters 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WAT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report).

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.