UBS Group AG Boosts Holdings in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• UBS Group AG increased its stake in Waters by 73.8% in Q4 to 355,955 shares (about $135.2 million), representing roughly 0.60% of the company.
• Waters director Wei Jiang bought 500 shares on March 16, raising his holdings 17% to 3,441 shares; insiders now own about 0.31% of the stock.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed after recent cuts to price targets (many around $330–$350), though the consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $387.53 and a Goldman Sachs upgrade to "strong-buy."

UBS Group AG grew its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 73.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 355,955 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 151,102 shares during the period. UBS Group AG owned 0.60% of Waters worth $135,202,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WAT. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 115.4% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 112 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. eCIO Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 510.3% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 177 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Waters news, Director Wei Jiang bought 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $289.46 per share, with a total value of $144,730.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 3,441 shares in the company, valued at approximately $996,031.86. This represents a 17.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WAT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $330.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $330.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 13th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $410.00 to $350.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Waters to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $387.53.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $309.47 on Friday. Waters Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $414.15. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $309.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $351.75. The company has a market cap of $30.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.73, a PEG ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.03. Waters had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 34.79%. The firm had revenue of $932.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $928.17 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.10 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Waters Company 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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