Teacher Retirement System of Texas Buys 8,125 Shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)

Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 1,461.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,681 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 8,125 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas' holdings in Waters were worth $3,200,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in Waters during the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in Waters by 129.3% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 104 shares during the period. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 54.3% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of Waters stock traded down $0.37 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $352.92. 565,054 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 472,638. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.81. The company has a market cap of $21.00 billion, a PE ratio of 32.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 1.10. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $349.62 and a 200-day moving average of $363.66. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $297.14 and a 12 month high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $661.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $655.50 million. Waters had a return on equity of 41.70% and a net margin of 22.02%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.21 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently commented on WAT shares. Scotiabank reissued a "sector outperform" rating and set a $465.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised Waters from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 target price on Waters and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Barclays cut their target price on Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Robert W. Baird upped their target price on Waters from $355.00 to $374.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $388.94.

Waters Company 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.