Waters’ (WAT) Buy Rating Reiterated at Guggenheim

Waters (NYSE:WAT)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by analysts at Guggenheim in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $440.00 price objective on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Guggenheim’s target price indicates a potential upside of 35.41% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Monday, December 1st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $423.00 price objective on the stock. Evercore ISI started coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday. They set an “in-line” rating and a $360.00 price target on the stock. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Waters from $410.00 to $350.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Barclays initiated coverage on Waters in a report on Tuesday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, HSBC initiated coverage on Waters in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $460.00 target price for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $399.74.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of WAT traded down $3.19 on Tuesday, hitting $324.95. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 427,244 shares, compared to its average volume of 602,441. The company has a market capitalization of $19.35 billion, a PE ratio of 29.87, a PEG ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.18. Waters has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $414.15. The company 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 current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.08.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Waters by 112.9% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 1,269 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $471,000 after buying an additional 673 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC raised its position in shares of Waters by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $386,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Waters by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 200,051 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $73,733,000 after acquiring an additional 6,976 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its holdings in Waters by 16.6% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 1,126 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $415,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Waters in the second quarter valued at approximately $232,000. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Waters

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waters completed the Reverse Morris Trust combination with BD’s Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions business, creating a larger life‑sciences company — a strategic move that expands scale and recurring‑revenue opportunities. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company issued FY‑2026 targets showing significantly higher pro‑forma revenue (~$6.4–$6.5B) and a 28.1% margin target tied to BD integration — a positive signal for longer‑term revenue and margin expansion if integration goes smoothly. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat consensus modestly (EPS $4.53 vs $4.50; revenue $932.4M vs $928.2M) and showed double‑digit non‑GAAP EPS growth year‑over‑year — evidence the underlying business remains resilient. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management appointed Claire M. Fraser, Ph.D., to the combined company leadership team — adds scientific credibility but is not an immediate financial catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Waters set Q1 EPS guidance at $2.25–$2.35, below the Street’s estimate (~$2.52), and flagged a cautious tone on the earnings call — the below‑consensus Q1 guide is the main near‑term driver of selling pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut price targets and trimmed optimism: Bank of America lowered its target to $350 and moved to Neutral; TD Cowen kept a Hold and cut its target to $373 — analyst downgrades amplify the market reaction to the weak Q1 guide and deal uncertainty. Read More. | Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Company’s earnings‑call commentary was described as cautious, with analysts highlighting BD life‑sciences weakness and a reduced premium valuation that could limit near‑term upside. Read More.

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.