Raymond James & Associates Has $42.10 Million Stock Holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 295.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 127,879 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 95,577 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates owned 0.22% of Waters worth $42,102,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. First Capital Advisors Group LLC. bought a new stake in Waters in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. West Tower Group LLC purchased a new position in Waters during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 11,000.0% in the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 111 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 55.3% in the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 118 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the period. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT traded down $0.96 during trading on Friday, hitting $344.23. The company had a trading volume of 262,487 shares, compared to its average volume of 432,693. The company has a market cap of $20.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.73, a PEG ratio of 6.87 and a beta of 0.93. Waters Co. has a 52 week low of $231.90 and a 52 week high of $363.80. The business's 50-day moving average is $334.14 and its 200 day moving average is $299.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 2.22.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $815.50 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.84 EPS. Waters's quarterly revenue was down 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 11.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on WAT shares. Barclays upped their target price on Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Citigroup increased their price target on Waters from $265.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, December 11th. TheStreet raised Waters from a "c+" rating to a "b-" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 13th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Waters from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Wolfe Research initiated coverage on Waters in a research report on Wednesday, December 13th. They set a "peer perform" rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $293.50.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total value of $177,770.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 2,250 shares of the company's stock, valued at $799,965. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.98% of the company's stock.

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.