Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Buys 1,747 Shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its holdings in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 5.5% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 33,396 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 1,747 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank owned about 0.06% of Waters worth $12,309,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA boosted its holdings in shares of Waters by 1.0% during the first quarter. Lederer & Associates Investment Counsel CA now owns 3,155 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,163,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. FourThought Financial Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Waters by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. FourThought Financial Partners LLC now owns 658 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $243,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. raised its holdings in Waters by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 744 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the period. Claret Asset Management Corp raised its holdings in Waters by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Claret Asset Management Corp now owns 1,103 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $409,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Finally, Lido Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Waters by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 1,734 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $643,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT traded up $2.01 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $290.77. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,201,345 shares, compared to its average volume of 603,550. Waters Corporation has a one year low of $279.61 and a one year high of $423.56. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $17.30 billion, a PE ratio of 26.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 1.10. The stock's 50-day moving average is $333.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $355.87.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued 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 business had revenue of $661.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $655.50 million. Waters had a return on equity of 41.70% and a net margin of 22.02%. Waters's revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.21 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Scotiabank reaffirmed a "sector outperform" rating and set a $465.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 target price on Waters and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $381.94.

Waters 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.