BNP Paribas Asset Management Holding S.A. Decreases Holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

BNP Paribas Asset Management Holding S.A. cut its holdings in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 16.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 119,786 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 23,024 shares during the quarter. BNP Paribas Asset Management Holding S.A. owned approximately 0.20% of Waters worth $39,437,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter valued at about $35,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at $33,000. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Waters during the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Waters during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC boosted its position in Waters by 300.0% during the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 144 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 108 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT traded down $1.93 during trading on Monday, hitting $354.02. 411,229 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 422,938. Waters Co. has a 1-year low of $231.90 and a 1-year high of $367.21. The company has a market capitalization of $21.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.66 and a beta of 0.98. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $333.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $317.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.94.

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

Insider Activity at Waters

In related news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 4,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.64, for a total value of $1,446,560.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 14,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,321,894.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Waters news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of Waters stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was 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 owns 2,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $799,965. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 4,000 shares of Waters stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.64, for a total value of $1,446,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 14,716 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,321,894.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.82% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WAT has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Waters from $319.00 to $312.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on Waters from $330.00 to $332.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. TD Cowen raised their target price on Waters from $350.00 to $358.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Barclays lowered their target price on Waters from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their target price on Waters from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an "in-line" rating in a report on Thursday, April 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have assigned a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $305.78.

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.