South Dakota Investment Council Boosts Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• South Dakota Investment Council increased its Waters Corporation stake by 849.6% in the first quarter, bringing its holdings to 6,334 shares valued at approximately $1.89 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.01% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Waters carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $401.60; targets range from $345 to $425.
• Waters exceeded quarterly expectations with EPS of $2.70 versus the $2.31 consensus and revenue of $1.27 billion, up 91.4% year over year. The company issued fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $14.40–$14.60.

South Dakota Investment Council raised its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 849.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,334 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 5,667 shares during the period. South Dakota Investment Council's holdings in Waters were worth $1,886,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its position in shares of Waters by 112.9% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,269 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $471,000 after purchasing an additional 673 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $386,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Waters by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 200,051 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $73,733,000 after purchasing an additional 6,976 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in shares of Waters by 16.6% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,126 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $415,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in Waters during the 2nd quarter worth $232,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WAT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Waters from $380.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Waters from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $401.60.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $377.75 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The company's fifty day moving average price is $369.30 and its 200-day moving average price is $345.48. Waters Corporation has a 1-year low of $275.05 and a 1-year high of $414.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.09 billion, a PE ratio of 48.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.20.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued 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. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The company had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.25 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current year.

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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