Wellington Management Group LLP Acquires 276,433 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Key Points

• Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in Waters Corporation by 93.3%, purchasing an additional 276,433 shares, bringing its total ownership to 572,823 shares worth approximately $211.1 million.
• Waters Corporation reported $2.95 earnings per share in its latest quarterly results, exceeding analysts' estimates, alongside a revenue of $771.33 million, marking an 8.8% year-over-year increase.
• Analysts have varied assessments on Waters' stock, with target prices ranging from $315 to $375, resulting in an average rating of "Hold" with an average price target of $378.73.

Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 93.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 572,823 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 276,433 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP owned about 0.96% of Waters worth $211,125,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Aviso Financial Inc. boosted its stake in Waters by 17.9% in the 1st quarter. Aviso Financial Inc. now owns 6,428 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,369,000 after purchasing an additional 977 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 739,630 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $272,605,000 after buying an additional 15,563 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 86.6% during the 1st quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 2,802 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,033,000 after buying an additional 1,300 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 112,799 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $41,574,000 after buying an additional 3,888 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 335,275 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $123,572,000 after buying an additional 2,688 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Performance

WAT traded up $11.49 during trading on Friday, hitting $301.93. The stock had a trading volume of 500,262 shares, compared to its average volume of 841,943. The firm has a market cap of $17.97 billion, a PE ratio of 27.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 1.04. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $275.05 and a 12 month high of $423.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $314.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $342.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.93 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $771.33 million for 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 quarterly revenue was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $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. Analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on WAT shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. UBS Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, July 15th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Waters from $374.00 to $352.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $385.00 target price on shares of Waters and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, August 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $378.73.

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.