Waters Corporation $WAT Shares Acquired by Welch & Forbes LLC

Key Points

• Welch & Forbes LLC more than doubled its stake in Waters Corporation in the first quarter, increasing holdings by 103.3% to 7,601 shares valued at about $2.26 million.
• Several other large institutional investors also boosted positions in Waters, and institutions now own 94.01% of the company’s shares.
• Waters reported strong quarterly results, beating EPS and revenue estimates, and analysts remain generally positive with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $400.37.

Welch & Forbes LLC lifted its position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 103.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,601 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 3,863 shares during the period. Welch & Forbes LLC's holdings in Waters were worth $2,264,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Waters by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,593,388 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $602,921,000 after acquiring an additional 8,590 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Waters by 32.3% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,472,419 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $441,446,000 after acquiring an additional 359,596 shares during the last quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP raised its position in shares of Waters by 112.3% in the 4th quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 1,241,206 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $471,447,000 after purchasing an additional 656,436 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Waters in the fourth quarter valued at $265,751,000. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Waters by 509.8% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 671,103 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $254,906,000 after purchasing an additional 561,047 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Waters to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 target price on Waters in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Waters from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday. UBS Group upped their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday. They set an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 target price for the company. Four 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $400.37.

Waters Trading Up 0.2%

NYSE:WAT opened at $377.35 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $37.05 billion, a PE ratio of 47.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The stock's 50-day moving average is $358.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $346.64. Waters Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The company had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.25 EPS. The company's revenue was up 91.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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