Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 18,369 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock, valued at approximately $6,824,000.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its stake in Waters by 235.7% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in Waters by 129.3% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 54.3% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
WAT has been the topic of several analyst reports. KeyCorp raised 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Scotiabank raised Waters from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $430.00 to $450.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target 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. Finally, Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Waters from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $396.00 to $407.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $397.25.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on WAT
Waters Stock Performance
Shares of WAT stock traded up $10.78 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $325.44. The stock had a trading volume of 612,020 shares, compared to its average volume of 476,594. Waters Co. has a one year low of $279.24 and a one year high of $423.56. The firm has a market cap of $19.33 billion, a PE ratio of 30.39, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.04. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $368.81 and its 200 day simple moving average is $372.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14.
Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a net margin of 21.56% and a return on equity of 46.31%. On average, analysts forecast that Waters Co. will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.
About Waters
(
Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
Before you consider Waters, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Waters wasn't on the list.
While Waters currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Just getting into the stock market? These 10 simple stocks can help beginning investors build long-term wealth without knowing options, technicals, or other advanced strategies.
Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.
Link copied to clipboard.
