Waters Corporation $WAT Stake Raised by Ethic Inc.

Key Points

• Ethic Inc. raised its holdings in Waters Corporation by 42.3%, increasing its shares to 8,304, valued at approximately $2.96 million.
• Total institutional ownership in Waters Corporation has reached 94.01%, with significant stake increases from firms such as GAMMA Investing LLC and OVERSEA CHINESE BANKING Corp Ltd.
• Waters reported earnings of $2.95 per share for the last quarter, exceeding estimates, along with a year-over-year revenue increase of 8.8%.

Ethic Inc. boosted its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 42.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,304 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 2,468 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in Waters were worth $2,956,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT purchased a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its position in Waters by 118.9% in the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its position in Waters by 5,200.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $41,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Stock Performance

NYSE WAT traded up $11.49 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $301.93. The company's stock had a trading volume of 500,262 shares, compared to its average volume of 841,943. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $314.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $342.07. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The stock has a market cap of $17.97 billion, a PE ratio of 27.23, a PEG ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.04.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WAT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 price objective on shares of Waters and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 5th. Scotiabank reissued a "sector outperform" rating and issued a $465.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price target on shares of Waters and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $378.73.

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.