Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Purchases Shares of 61,858 Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 61,858 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $22,948,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned approximately 0.10% of Waters at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in shares of Waters by 129.3% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Waters by 54.3% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $360.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Baird R W raised shares of Waters from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $390.19.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT traded down $6.65 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $348.65. The stock had a trading volume of 869,104 shares, compared to its average volume of 478,700. The company has a market capitalization of $20.75 billion, a PE ratio of 32.55, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.14. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $342.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $369.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. Waters Co. has a 1 year low of $279.24 and a 1 year high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.22 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $661.71 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $655.50 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.56% and a return on equity of 46.31%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.21 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Waters

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.