Versor Investments LP Raises Stake in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Versor Investments LP increased its stake in Waters Corporation by 86.6%, acquiring an additional 1,300 shares to hold a total of 2,802 shares valued at approximately $1,033,000.
• Institutional ownership of Waters Corporation is significant, with institutions owning 94.01% of the company's stock.
• Waters Corporation reported $2.95 earnings per share for the recent quarter, slightly surpassing analysts' expectations, with revenue growth of 8.8% year-over-year.

Versor Investments LP grew its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 86.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,802 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 1,300 shares during the quarter. Versor Investments LP's holdings in Waters were worth $1,033,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Olde Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in shares of Waters by 118.9% during the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew 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 worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth approximately $41,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on WAT shares. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, July 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Bank of America lifted their price objective 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. Scotiabank reiterated a "sector outperform" rating and issued a $465.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $378.73.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT traded up $11.49 during trading on Friday, hitting $301.93. 500,262 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 615,790. The company has a market cap of $17.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.23, a PEG ratio of 2.77 and a beta of 1.04. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $423.56. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $315.06 and its 200 day moving average price is $343.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.22.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.93 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $771.33 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $745.96 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. The business's revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.63 EPS. Waters has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 3.150-3.250 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 12.950-13.050 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.