Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Waters Corporation has received a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from analysts, with nine recommending hold, six buy, and two strong buy ratings among the 17 ratings firms covering the stock.
• The average 12-month price target for Waters stock is $377.56, with the stock currently trading around $336.83 and showing significant volatility between a twelve-month high of $423.56 and a low of $275.05.
• Hedge funds are actively investing in Waters Corporation, with notable new positions reported and 94.01% of the stock owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) has received a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the seventeen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $377.5625.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on WAT. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $315.00 price objective on Waters and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $315.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Wall Street Zen cut Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on Waters from $370.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, June 26th.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of WAT stock opened at $336.83 on Tuesday. Waters has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $423.56. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.37, a P/E/G ratio of 3.09 and a beta of 1.04. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $300.98 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $323.39. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 19th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.29 earnings per share for the quarter. The business had revenue of $608.55 million during the quarter. Waters had a return on equity of 38.60% and a net margin of 21.71%. On average, analysts predict that Waters will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Olde Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT acquired a new position in Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 118.9% in the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 81 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the second quarter valued at about $53,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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