Waters Corporation $WAT Shares Sold by Robeco Schweiz AG

Robeco Schweiz AG lessened its position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 62.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 132,093 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 215,708 shares during the quarter. Robeco Schweiz AG owned approximately 0.22% of Waters worth $50,173,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Waters during the third quarter valued at $26,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Waters by 115.4% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 112 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Waters by 510.3% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 177 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT opened at $349.91 on Thursday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $310.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $352.16. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 1.27. Waters Corporation has a 1-year low of $275.05 and a 1-year high of $414.15. The company has a market cap of $34.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.14.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The company had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.25 EPS. Waters's revenue was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. Analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Wei Jiang purchased 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was bought at an average price of $289.46 per share, for a total transaction of $144,730.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 3,441 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $996,031.86. The trade was a 17.00% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WAT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $345.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $330.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Evercore upgraded shares of Waters from an "in-line" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $350.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $392.47.

Trending Headlines about Waters

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and upgraded FY outlook — Waters reported adjusted EPS of $2.70 (ahead of consensus) and reported revenue of ~$1.27B; management raised FY 2026 EPS and revenue targets, which is the primary catalyst for the rally. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition and organic strength — The recently acquired Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions unit contributed materially (~$520M reported this quarter) and organic revenue grew double digits, supporting medium‑term revenue expansion. QuiverQuant Analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Market opportunities highlighted by management — CEO comments point to demand from GLP‑1 drug developers (separation column exposure) and growing innovation in China as additional growth levers for Waters’ instruments and consumables. CNBC Video
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst mix remains varied — some firms (e.g., William Blair) reiterate Buy on execution and BD synergies, while price targets across the street show a wide range, leaving room for further re‑rating as results are digested. TipRanks
• Neutral Sentiment: High trading volume and investor attention — elevated volume suggests the beat/guidance story is attracting short‑term flows; continued execution will be needed to sustain gains. Reuters
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan moved its price target to $345 but kept a Neutral rating — that PT is roughly in line with current levels and signals limited near‑term upside from that shop, which could cap momentum if other banks stay cautious. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 EPS range slightly softer vs. consensus — Waters gave Q2 EPS guidance of $2.95–$3.05 (consensus ~3.03); while the full‑year guide was lifted, the near‑term range leaves little margin for upside and could temper expectations. Zacks

Waters Profile

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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