Principal Financial Group Inc. Buys 148,320 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its Waters Corporation stake by 17% in the first quarter, buying 148,320 shares and bringing its holdings to 1,019,289 shares valued at about $303.6 million.
• Waters reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting earnings of $2.70 per share versus $2.31 expected and revenue of $1.27 billion versus $1.20 billion expected. The company also issued Q2 2026 and FY 2026 guidance above many analysts’ expectations.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive, with several firms raising price targets; the stock currently has a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of $401.60.

Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 17.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,019,289 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 148,320 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 1.04% of Waters worth $303,556,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WAT. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 121.2% in the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, First United Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Waters in the first quarter worth $31,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waters Trading Up 1.0%

NYSE WAT opened at $376.81 on Wednesday. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $275.05 and a 12 month high of $414.15. The stock has a market cap of $37.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.20. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $360.75 and its 200-day moving average price is $346.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The company's revenue was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.25 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays increased their price objective on Waters from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Waters from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $345.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $401.60.

About Waters

Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.

Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.

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