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

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $420.35.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on WAT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $425.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Waters from $425.00 to $470.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Bank of America raised their price objective on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Waters in a research note on Friday, June 26th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 price objective for the company.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In other news, Director Christopher A. 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,086,515.52. The trade was a 16.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Waters

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Anchor Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its holdings in Waters by 121.2% in the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the last quarter. Vision Retirement LLC purchased a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Bollard Group LLC bought a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Stock Down 0.1%

NYSE:WAT opened at $411.88 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $377.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $345.99. The company has a market capitalization of $40.47 billion, a PE ratio of 102.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.19. 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 has a 1-year low of $282.77 and a 1-year high of $420.26.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.62 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.95 EPS. Waters’s quarterly revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Waters will post 14.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.