Smith Group Asset Management LLC Buys 4,964 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Smith Group Asset Management increased its Waters stake by 6.8%, buying 4,964 additional shares to own 77,612 shares valued at approximately $23.1 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.01% of Waters.
• Waters reported a strong quarter, with EPS of $2.70 versus $2.31 expected and revenue of $1.27 billion versus a $1.20 billion consensus; revenue rose 91.4% year over year. The company guided for fiscal 2026 EPS of $14.40–$14.60.
• Shares recently traded at $384.67, up 3.6%, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $401.60; individual targets range from $345 to $440.

Smith Group Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 6.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 77,612 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 4,964 shares during the quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC owned 0.08% of Waters worth $23,113,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WAT. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its stake in Waters by 121.2% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new position in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Waters during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Trading Up 3.6%

NYSE:WAT opened at $384.67 on Wednesday. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $275.05 and a 12 month high of $414.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm's 50 day moving average is $367.04 and its 200 day moving average is $345.48. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.77 billion, a PE ratio of 48.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.20.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. The business 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 business's revenue for the quarter was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $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. Sell-side analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on WAT shares. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Bank of America increased their price target on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. TD Cowen reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Guggenheim reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $440.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $401.60.

Waters Profile

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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