Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. Trims Stock Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. decreased its holdings in Waters Corporation by 2.3%, owning 54,165 shares worth approximately $19.96 million after selling 1,300 shares.
• Waters reported $2.95 EPS for the last quarter, surpassing analyst estimates and achieving a revenue of $771.33 million, up 8.8% year-over-year.
• Research firms have mixed ratings on Waters, with an average target price of $378.73, indicating a consensus rating of "Hold" for the company's stock.

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. decreased its position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 54,165 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 1,300 shares during the quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. owned approximately 0.09% of Waters worth $19,964,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in WAT. Olde Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Waters in the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised 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 purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Waters by 5,200.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 106 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Waters during the 1st quarter worth $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 target price on shares of Waters and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price objective on shares of Waters and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, August 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $378.73.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT traded up $9.92 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $302.95. The company had a trading volume of 384,137 shares, compared to its average volume of 586,576. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.32, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.07. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $423.56. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $300.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $333.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.75 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $771.33 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $745.96 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.63 earnings per share. 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 anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

About Waters

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.