Waters (NYSE:WAT) Shares Gap Up to $299.23

Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) shares gapped up prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $299.23, but opened at $309.99. Waters shares last traded at $308.34, with a volume of 54,170 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WAT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Waters from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Barclays raised their target price on Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a report on Monday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have issued a hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $298.67.

Waters Trading Up 4.7 %

The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $335.46 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $306.34. The company has a current ratio of 2.22, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. The company has a market cap of $18.58 billion, a PE ratio of 28.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.89 and a beta of 0.92.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.56 by $0.06. Waters had a net margin of 21.72% and a return on equity of 81.30%. The business had revenue of $819.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $815.50 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $3.84 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Waters Co. will post 11.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Waters

In other news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total value of $177,770.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $799,965. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.82% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth $28,000. Private Trust Co. NA boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 55.3% in the third quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 118 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Waters during the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in Waters during the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

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.