Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) have received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the eighteen research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have issued a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $390.19.

WAT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Baird R W raised shares of Waters from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Robert W. Baird upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $355.00 to $374.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Waters and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Waters during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new stake in Waters during the first quarter worth about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its position in Waters by 118.9% in the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in Waters in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of Waters stock opened at $359.38 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $346.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $370.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. Waters has a twelve month low of $279.24 and a twelve month high of $423.56. The stock has a market cap of $21.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.14.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.22 by $0.03. Waters had a net margin of 21.56% and a return on equity of 46.31%. The firm had revenue of $661.71 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $655.50 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.21 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Waters will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.

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