Waters - WAT Stock Forecast, Price & News

Waters Corporation, a specialty measurement company, 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. It also designs, manufactures, sells, and services thermal analysis, rheometry, and calorimetry instruments; and develops and supplies software-based products that interface with its instruments, as well as other manufacturers' instruments. Its MS technology instruments are used in drug discovery and development comprising clinical trial testing, the analysis of proteins in disease processes, nutritional safety analysis, and environmental testing. The company offers thermal analysis, rheometry, and calorimetry instruments for use in predicting the suitability and stability of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, water, polymers, metals, and viscous liquids for various industrial, consumer good, and healthcare products, as well as for life science research. Its products are used by life science, pharmaceutical, biochemical, industrial, nutritional safety, environmental, academic, and governmental customers working in research and development, quality assurance, and other laboratory applications. Waters Corporation was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts.

Waters Trading Up 1.1 %

NYSE:WAT opened at $335.23 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $20.07 billion, a PE ratio of 29.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.60 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a quick ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.66. Waters has a 52-week low of $288.32 and a 52-week high of $428.22. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $334.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $323.81.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.75 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.63 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $714.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $706.77 million. Waters had a return on equity of 203.31% and a net margin of 24.21%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.60 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Waters will post 12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WAT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America raised Waters from an "underperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and raised their target price for the company from $320.00 to $330.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 17th. Wells Fargo & Company raised Waters from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and reduced their target price for the company from $320.00 to $315.00 in a report on Monday, April 25th. Barclays initiated coverage on Waters in a report on Tuesday, May 17th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $375.00 target price for the company. Robert W. Baird raised their target price on Waters from $340.00 to $348.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 3rd. Finally, Cowen lifted their price target on Waters to $378.00 in a research note on Tuesday, August 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $353.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Waters news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 4,000 shares of Waters stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $328.78, for a total value of $1,315,120.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 14,064 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,623,961.92. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.77% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.