Waters (NYSE:WAT) Reaches New 12-Month High - Here's Why

Key Points

• Waters shares reached a new 52-week high of $421.74 and last traded at $419.08, up from the prior close of $415.84.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $420.35; targets range from $375 to $435.
• The company beat quarterly expectations, reporting $3.05 in earnings per share versus $3.01 expected and $1.65 billion in revenue versus $1.62 billion forecast. Revenue increased 113.3% year over year, while an insider sold shares worth approximately $1.44 million.

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $421.74 and last traded at $419.08, with a volume of 349531 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $415.84.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Friday, June 26th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $435.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $420.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $420.35.

Waters Trading Up 0.1%

The stock has a market capitalization of $40.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 103.81, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.19. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $379.73 and its 200 day moving average price is $346.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.86 and a quick ratio of 1.29.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.62 billion. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 113.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.95 EPS. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In related news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. The trade was a 16.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waters

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Caitlin John LLC increased its stake in shares of Waters by 43.9% during the second quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 82 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the period. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. lifted its stake in Waters by 0.3% in the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 7,608 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $2,890,000 after acquiring an additional 26 shares during the period. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Waters by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,681 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $638,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Waters by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 616 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $234,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Avalon Trust Co increased its position in Waters by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Avalon Trust Co now owns 1,330 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $396,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.

Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.

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