Waters Corporation $WAT Holdings Raised by Kentucky Retirement Systems

Kentucky Retirement Systems raised its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 88.0% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 7,028 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,289 shares during the period. Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings in Waters were worth $2,093,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its position in Waters by 27.0% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,638,772 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $488,028,000 after purchasing an additional 348,379 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Waters by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,593,388 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $602,921,000 after purchasing an additional 8,590 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Waters by 32.3% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,472,419 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $441,446,000 after purchasing an additional 359,596 shares in the last quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 112.3% during the 4th quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 1,241,206 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $471,447,000 after buying an additional 656,436 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 17.0% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,019,289 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $303,556,000 after buying an additional 148,320 shares during the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:WAT opened at $381.12 on Friday. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $275.05 and a 12 month high of $414.15. The firm has a market cap of $37.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.43, a P/E/G ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company’s 50 day moving average is $368.60 and its 200-day moving average is $345.25.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.25 EPS. Waters’s quarterly revenue 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. Equities analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAT has been the topic of several recent research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $425.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Waters in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $400.00 price target for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $401.60.

Waters 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.