Waters Corporation $WAT Stock Position Lifted by Van ECK Associates Corp

Key Points

• VanECK increased its Waters position by 27.2% in the second quarter, bringing its holdings to 29,056 shares valued at approximately $10.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 94.01% of WAT.
• Waters reported quarterly EPS of $3.05, exceeding estimates by $0.04, while revenue rose 113.3% year over year to $1.65 billion. The company issued full-year 2026 EPS guidance of $14.45–$14.65.
• WAT shares opened at $414.94, near their 52-week high, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $424.35. A company director also sold 3,626 shares for roughly $1.44 million.

Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 27.2% during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 29,056 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 6,222 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp's holdings in Waters were worth $10,897,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WAT. Brighton Jones LLC increased its stake in Waters by 112.9% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,269 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $471,000 after buying an additional 673 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $386,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 200,051 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $73,733,000 after acquiring an additional 6,976 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Waters by 16.6% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,126 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $415,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Waters in the second quarter valued at approximately $232,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Waters Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of WAT opened at $414.94 on Tuesday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $388.66 and its 200 day moving average price is $349.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 103.48, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.19. Waters Corporation has a 1-year low of $282.77 and a 1-year high of $426.22.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.62 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.95 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 113.3% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. Analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Waters

In related news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on WAT. Bank of America boosted their target price on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Wolfe Research started coverage on Waters in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an "outperform" rating and a $425.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, HSBC upped their price objective on Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $424.35.

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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