Trexquant Investment LP Decreases Stock Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Trexquant Investment LP reduced its stake in Waters Corporation by 49.0%, ending the quarter with 21,082 shares valued at approximately $7.77 million.
• Waters Corporation posted earnings of $2.95 per share for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.93, with a revenue of $771.33 million.
• Current analyst ratings for Waters show a predominance of "Hold" with an average target price of $378.73, while their stock is trading around $301.89.

Trexquant Investment LP lowered its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 49.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 21,082 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 20,275 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP's holdings in Waters were worth $7,770,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WAT. Olde Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in Waters by 118.9% in the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Waters by 5,200.0% in the 1st 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 period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on shares of Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $378.73.

Waters Stock Up 3.6%

NYSE WAT traded up $10.35 on Thursday, hitting $300.41. 397,286 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 611,563. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $306.82 and a 200-day moving average of $337.05. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $275.05 and a 12 month high of $423.56. The company has a market cap of $17.88 billion, a PE ratio of 27.07, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.07.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $771.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $745.96 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.63 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 3.150-3.250 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 12.950-13.050 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

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.