Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) saw a large increase in short interest in February. As of February 28th, there was short interest totalling 1,620,000 shares, an increase of 24.6% from the February 13th total of 1,300,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 470,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.4 days. Currently, 2.7% of the shares of the stock are sold short.
Waters Trading Down 2.8 %
Shares of WAT traded down $10.55 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $371.61. The stock had a trading volume of 317,984 shares, compared to its average volume of 471,771. The company has a market cap of $22.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.70, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $391.36 and a 200 day moving average of $370.97. Waters has a 52 week low of $279.24 and a 52 week high of $423.56.
Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share 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%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Waters will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research firms have issued reports on WAT. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Scotiabank upgraded Waters from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $430.00 to $450.00 in a report on Thursday, February 13th. UBS Group upped their target price on Waters from $405.00 to $410.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Barclays upgraded Waters from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $360.00 to $415.00 in a report on Monday, February 10th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $391.07.
Read Our Latest Analysis on WAT
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waters
Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Waters in the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position 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 buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its position in Waters by 129.3% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company's stock.
About Waters
(
Get 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.
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