Waters Corporation $WAT Shares Sold by Voya Investment Management LLC

Key Points

• Voya Investment Management LLC reduced its stake in Waters Corporation by 3.4% in the first quarter, selling 10,064 shares and retaining a total of 284,868 shares worth approximately $104.8 million.
• Waters has seen significant investment activity, with several hedge funds increasing their holdings, notably Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC, which raised its stake by 169.1% to over 11,600 shares valued at $4.28 million.
• Despite a 2.3% decline in share price recently, Waters Corporation reported earnings per share of $2.95 for the last quarter, surpassing analysts' expectations and showing an 8.8% revenue increase compared to the same quarter last year.

Voya Investment Management LLC lessened its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 3.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 284,868 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 10,064 shares during the period. Voya Investment Management LLC owned 0.48% of Waters worth $104,782,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Waters by 85.7% during the 1st quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,642 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $605,000 after purchasing an additional 758 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Waters by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,986 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,101,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its position in shares of Waters by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 4,813 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $1,774,000 after purchasing an additional 189 shares during the last quarter. CX Institutional acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter worth about $75,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in Waters by 169.1% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 11,619 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $4,283,000 after acquiring an additional 7,301 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WAT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 price objective on shares of Waters and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, August 4th. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, July 15th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 26th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $378.73.

Waters Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of NYSE WAT opened at $295.40 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $299.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $333.38. The company has a market capitalization of $17.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.22. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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. The business had revenue of $771.33 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $745.96 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.71% and a return on equity of 38.60%. The business's revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.63 EPS. Waters has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 3.150-3.250 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 12.950-13.050 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

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.

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