Leerink Partnrs Has Pessimistic View of Waters Q3 Earnings

Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) - Research analysts at Leerink Partnrs dropped their Q3 2025 earnings per share estimates for shares of Waters in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, May 6th. Leerink Partnrs analyst P. Souda now forecasts that the medical instruments supplier will post earnings of $3.22 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $3.23. The consensus estimate for Waters' current full-year earnings is $12.86 per share. Leerink Partnrs also issued estimates for Waters' Q4 2025 earnings at $4.49 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $14.32 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on WAT. Baird R W upgraded Waters from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. KeyCorp upgraded Waters from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $460.00 price target on the stock in a report on Monday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. StockNews.com downgraded Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $390.19.

Waters Trading Up 6.6%

Shares of NYSE WAT traded up $22.74 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $366.80. The company had a trading volume of 634,167 shares, compared to its average volume of 476,100. Waters has a one year low of $279.24 and a one year high of $423.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $349.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $370.71. The stock has a market cap of $21.83 billion, a PE ratio of 34.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.14.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.03. Waters had a return on equity of 46.31% and a net margin of 21.56%. The company had revenue of $661.71 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $655.50 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.21 EPS. Waters's revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis.

Institutional Trading of Waters

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Olde Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc lifted 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 acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Waters in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.