SG Americas Securities LLC Acquires 20,944 Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 289.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,176 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 20,944 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC's holdings in Waters were worth $10,385,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in Waters by 129.3% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Waters Trading Down 2.2%

Waters stock traded down $7.69 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $341.88. 347,169 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 473,572. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $342.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $368.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.92, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.11. Waters Co. has a 52-week low of $279.24 and a 52-week high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 net margin of 21.56% and a return on equity of 46.31%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.21 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Waters Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on WAT. Baird R W upgraded shares of Waters from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 target price on shares of Waters and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on shares of Waters from $355.00 to $374.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, June 7th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $390.19.

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.