Rothschild & Co Redburn Initiates Coverage on Waters (NYSE:WAT)

Key Points

• Rothschild & Co Redburn has initiated coverage on Waters (NYSE:WAT) with a "buy" rating and a price target of $390.00, indicating a potential upside of 22.39% from the stock's previous close.
• The stock's average rating among analysts is "Moderate Buy," with a consensus target price of $381.63, while several firms have recently adjusted their price targets for Waters.
• Waters reported earnings of $2.95 per share, exceeding expectations, and projected annual guidance leading to an EPS forecast of 12.86 for the current fiscal year.

Research analysts at Rothschild & Co Redburn initiated coverage on shares of Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage set a "buy" rating and a $390.00 price target on the medical instruments supplier's stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn's price target would suggest a potential upside of 22.39% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on WAT. Redburn Partners set a $390.00 target price on Waters in a research report on Wednesday. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, June 26th. Scotiabank reiterated a "sector outperform" rating and set a $465.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Saturday, September 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $381.63.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $318.64 on Wednesday. Waters has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $423.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 1.75 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $297.74 and its 200 day simple moving average is $324.71.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.95 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.93 by $0.02. Waters had a return on equity of 38.60% and a net margin of 21.71%.The firm had revenue of $771.33 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $745.96 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.63 EPS. The company's revenue was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 3.150-3.250 EPS. FY 2025 guidance at 12.950-13.050 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Waters will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of WAT. Ransom Advisory Ltd raised its position in Waters by 37.4% during the 3rd quarter. Ransom Advisory Ltd now owns 1,649 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $494,000 after purchasing an additional 449 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 47,242 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $14,164,000 after purchasing an additional 3,926 shares during the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,624,000. Oak Thistle LLC increased its position in shares of Waters by 75.8% during the third quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 7,702 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,309,000 after buying an additional 3,321 shares during the period. Finally, Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC raised its stake in Waters by 2.3% during the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 8,156 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,847,000 after buying an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. 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.

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