Andra AP fonden Decreases Stake in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Andra AP fonden cut its position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 44.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 28,240 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after selling 22,400 shares during the period. Andra AP fonden's holdings in Waters were worth $10,476,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Kennebec Savings Bank purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in Waters in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in Waters by 235.7% in the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in Waters by 129.3% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT stock traded down $5.94 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $372.92. The company's stock had a trading volume of 371,917 shares, compared to its average volume of 438,774. The company has a 50 day moving average of $391.16 and a 200 day moving average of $369.78. The stock has a market cap of $22.16 billion, a PE ratio of 34.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. Waters Co. has a 12-month low of $279.24 and a 12-month high of $423.56.

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Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Waters Co. will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on WAT shares. Bank of America lowered their price objective 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. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Waters from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $430.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $391.07.

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.