Waters (NYSE:WAT) Price Target Lowered to $350.00 at Bank of America

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its price objective cut by equities research analysts at Bank of America from $410.00 to $350.00 in a report released on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Bank of America‘s price target indicates a potential upside of 6.86% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on WAT. William Blair began coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Monday, January 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Waters in a research note on Monday, December 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $423.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Waters from $385.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Barclays set a $400.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $400.59.

Waters Stock Performance

NYSE:WAT opened at $327.52 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $19.50 billion, a PE ratio of 30.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.18. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $386.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $347.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.53. Waters has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.50 by $0.03. Waters had a return on equity of 36.59% and a net margin of 20.89%.The firm had revenue of $932.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $928.17 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $4.10 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Waters will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd bought a new position in shares of Waters during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Waters by 115.4% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 112 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. eCIO Inc. purchased a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in Waters by 65.4% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 134 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Waters

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Completed Reverse Morris Trust with BD, creating a larger life‑sciences leader and handing Waters new product, channel and geographic scale. Waters Completes Combination
• Positive Sentiment: Full‑year 2026 revenue guidance raised to roughly $6.4B–$6.46B and management targets ~28.1% operating margin through BD integration — a clear long‑term growth/margin story if synergies are realized. Revenue & Margin Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat: non‑GAAP EPS $4.53 vs. ~$4.50 expected and revenue of ~$932M (high end of sales guidance); recurring revenue and chemistry/bioseparations strength noted. Q4 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call emphasized integration synergies but used a cautious tone on timing and risks — management flagged execution and near‑term margin pressure as they absorb BD businesses. Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings call transcript and slide deck are available for investors who want detail on segment trends, recurring revenue and the integration plan. Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Updated Q1 2026 guidance (EPS $2.25–2.35) came in below Street estimates (~$2.52), and management warned first‑quarter profit would be under Wall Street expectations — this miss is the primary driver of the stock decline. Q1 Guidance Miss
• Negative Sentiment: Caution around integration execution, one‑time costs and the pace of realizing synergies increases near‑term earnings uncertainty; analysts may revise near‑term estimates. Integration Risk Discussion

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.