Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Shares Sold by Robeco Schweiz AG

Robeco Schweiz AG reduced its position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 23.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 142,523 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 42,625 shares during the period. Robeco Schweiz AG owned about 0.24% of Waters worth $52,530,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Waters by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,098,668 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $2,633,464,000 after purchasing an additional 19,456 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its position in shares of Waters by 8.7% during the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,654,002 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $984,582,000 after purchasing an additional 212,364 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Waters by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,451,445 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $537,053,000 after acquiring an additional 34,762 shares during the last quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake in Waters by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 889,306 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $329,911,000 after acquiring an additional 3,713 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AKO Capital LLP raised its stake in Waters by 3.2% during the 4th quarter. AKO Capital LLP now owns 815,379 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $302,489,000 after acquiring an additional 25,172 shares during the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE WAT traded down $0.37 on Friday, hitting $352.92. 565,054 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 472,638. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $349.62 and a 200 day moving average of $363.66. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $297.14 and a twelve month high of $423.56. The company has a market capitalization of $21.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.03. Waters had a return on equity of 41.70% and a net margin of 22.02%. The business had revenue of $661.71 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $655.50 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.21 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WAT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Scotiabank reiterated a "sector outperform" rating and set a $465.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday. Bank of America upped their target price on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 26th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 10th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Waters from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 5th. Finally, Baird R W raised Waters from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Waters presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $388.94.

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.