Waters Corporation $WAT Shares Acquired by Kentucky Retirement Systems

Key Points

• Kentucky Retirement Systems increased its Waters Corporation stake by 88% in the first quarter, purchasing 3,289 additional shares for a total holding valued at approximately $2.1 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 94.01% of Waters shares.
• Waters reported quarterly earnings of $2.70 per share, beating estimates of $2.31, while revenue reached $1.27 billion and rose 91.4% year over year. The company guided for fiscal 2026 EPS of $14.40–$14.60.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive, with Waters carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $401.60; recent targets range from $345 to $435.

Kentucky Retirement Systems increased its position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 88.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,028 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 3,289 shares during the period. Kentucky Retirement Systems' holdings in Waters were worth $2,093,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV acquired a new position in Waters during the first quarter worth about $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT grew its holdings in Waters by 121.2% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Vision Retirement LLC bought a new stake in Waters in the first quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Bollard Group LLC acquired a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of Waters stock opened at $381.12 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $37.42 billion, a PE ratio of 48.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.20. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $368.60 and a 200-day simple moving average of $345.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $275.05 and a 12 month high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.Waters's quarterly revenue was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.25 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "hold" rating and issued a $350.00 target price on shares of Waters in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 price target on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $401.60.

About Waters

Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.

Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.

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