Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Stake Increased by Nuance Investments LLC

Nuance Investments LLC boosted its stake in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 356.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 419,363 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after purchasing an additional 327,389 shares during the quarter. Waters makes up 3.2% of Nuance Investments LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Nuance Investments LLC owned about 0.71% of Waters worth $138,067,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC raised its position in shares of Waters by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 9,953 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $2,729,000 after buying an additional 345 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Waters by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 8,773 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $2,406,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares during the period. Advisor Partners II LLC increased its stake in Waters by 10.3% in the 3rd quarter. Advisor Partners II LLC now owns 2,067 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $567,000 after purchasing an additional 193 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC bought a new stake in Waters in the third quarter valued at approximately $614,000. Finally, TIAA Trust National Association purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the third quarter valued at approximately $288,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Up 4.4 %

Shares of NYSE:WAT traded up $14.69 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $351.11. The company's stock had a trading volume of 791,251 shares, compared to its average volume of 486,443. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $333.03 and a 200-day moving average of $312.13. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.46, a PEG ratio of 6.99 and a beta of 0.98. Waters Co. has a 12-month low of $231.90 and a 12-month high of $363.80.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.11. Waters had a return on equity of 66.59% and a net margin of 20.75%. The firm had revenue of $636.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $635.57 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.49 EPS. Waters's quarterly revenue was down 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Waters Co. will post 11.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently commented on WAT. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Waters from $350.00 to $358.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Waters from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "underweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on Waters from $319.00 to $312.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on Waters from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an "in-line" rating in a report on Thursday, April 4th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Waters from $330.00 to $332.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $305.78.

Insider Transactions at Waters

In related news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total value of $177,770.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $799,965. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.82% of the company's stock.

Waters 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.

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