Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $395.1176.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WAT. HSBC began coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $460.00 price objective for the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and set a $350.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a report on Thursday. Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Waters from $345.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of Waters from $410.00 to $350.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 10th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Waters news, Director Wei Jiang bought 500 shares of Waters stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $289.46 per share, with a total value of $144,730.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 3,441 shares in the company, valued at approximately $996,031.86. This represents a 17.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Waters

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its holdings in Waters by 121.2% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Waters during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new stake in Waters during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Trading Up 1.3%

NYSE:WAT opened at $355.12 on Friday. Waters has a one year low of $275.05 and a one year high of $414.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 1.27. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $310.84 and its 200 day simple moving average is $352.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.12, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.14.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.25 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 91.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Waters will post 14.49 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Waters

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.