Royal Bank Of Canada Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Waters (NYSE:WAT) Stock

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its target price raised by analysts at Royal Bank Of Canada from $475.00 to $525.00 in a research report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “outperform” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Royal Bank Of Canada‘s price target points to a potential upside of 12.00% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on WAT. Wall Street Zen raised Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, October 26th. KeyCorp lifted their target price on Waters from $460.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group upgraded shares of Waters from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $375.00 to $490.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Waters from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $435.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $469.13.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT traded up $8.84 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $468.74. The company had a trading volume of 376,162 shares, compared to its average volume of 967,004. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $432.11 and its 200 day moving average is $371.16. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.05 billion, a PE ratio of 116.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.16. Waters has a twelve month low of $282.77 and a twelve month high of $482.28. 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 (NYSE:WAT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.00 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $1.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.75 billion. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 120.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.40 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Waters will post 14.56 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In related 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This trade represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC boosted its stake in Waters by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 704 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $309,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares during the period. Caitlin John LLC grew its position in Waters by 43.9% during the 2nd quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 82 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its stake in Waters by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 910 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Waters by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 786 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $345,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the period. Finally, Avalon Trust Co lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 2.3% in the first 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 in the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Waters

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waters reported adjusted Q3 EPS of $4.10, up 21% year over year, and revenue of $1.767 billion, both above expectations. Organic revenue grew 9% as reported (10% in constant currency), and the company raised its 2026 revenue and earnings guidance. Waters Q3 2026 financial results
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s 2027 framework points to high-single-digit growth and a 29.2% adjusted operating margin, providing investors with a forward-looking growth and profitability target. Waters outlines 2027 framework
• Positive Sentiment: Waters agreed to acquire MOBILion Systems, adding high-resolution ion-mobility technology to its mass-spectrometry portfolio. The deal is intended to strengthen its proteomics offering and support AI-driven research workflows. Waters acquires MOBILion Systems
• Positive Sentiment: KeyCorp raised its price target to $500 from $460 and reiterated an “overweight” rating, signaling confidence in further upside. KeyCorp rating and price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary identifying laboratory and research-instrument suppliers as beneficiaries of AI-related demand may support interest in Waters, but it is a broader sector theme rather than a company-specific catalyst. Jim Cramer on emerging technology companies
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation remains a potential headwind: recent analysis questions whether Waters is fully priced, suggesting strong results and expectations may already be reflected in the shares. Is Waters fully priced?

About Waters

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) develops and manufactures analytical technologies used to measure, identify and characterize chemical and biological substances. Its customers include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, industrial manufacturers, academic and government laboratories, and organizations involved in food, environmental and clinical testing.

The company’s product portfolio includes high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, chromatography columns and consumables, and laboratory software for data management and analysis.