Saudi Central Bank Acquires 3,254 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Saudi Central Bank raised its holdings in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 89.6% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,884 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,254 shares during the quarter. Saudi Central Bank’s holdings in Waters were worth $2,582,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. bought a new position in Waters in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT grew its holdings in Waters by 121.2% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Vision Retirement LLC purchased a new position in Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of Waters stock opened at $409.39 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.86. Waters Corporation has a 52-week low of $282.77 and a 52-week high of $426.22. The company has a fifty day moving average of $392.72 and a 200-day moving average of $352.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 102.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.19.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.62 billion. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The firm’s revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $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. Equities research analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on WAT. TD Cowen upgraded shares of Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $408.00 to $475.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $425.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $424.35.

Insider Activity at Waters

In other news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of Waters stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

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.