Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. Takes $20.58 Million Position in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. acquired a new position in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 55,465 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $20,576,000. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. owned approximately 0.09% of Waters as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its stake in Waters by 235.7% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Waters by 129.3% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new position in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of Waters stock opened at $337.96 on Friday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $355.96 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $370.45. Waters Co. has a 12-month low of $279.24 and a 12-month high of $423.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The company has a market cap of $20.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.56, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.04.

Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a net margin of 21.56% and a return on equity of 46.31%. Research analysts anticipate that Waters Co. will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on WAT shares. UBS Group upped their target price on Waters from $405.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. KeyCorp upgraded shares of Waters from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $460.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $392.13.

Waters Profile

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.

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