MML Investors Services LLC Grows Stock Holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

MML Investors Services LLC increased its holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 25.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 12,886 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 2,589 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC's holdings in Waters were worth $4,780,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 15.5% in the fourth quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 3,587 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,331,000 after purchasing an additional 482 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 34.8% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 159,995 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $57,579,000 after purchasing an additional 41,339 shares during the last quarter. Savant Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Waters by 3.8% during the fourth quarter. Savant Capital LLC now owns 1,704 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $632,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its stake in Waters by 7.1% in the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 421,691 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $156,439,000 after buying an additional 27,801 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Czech National Bank lifted its position in shares of Waters by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 12,874 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $4,776,000 after buying an additional 782 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE WAT traded up $1.29 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $341.17. 278,025 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 473,992. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.94. Waters Co. has a 12-month low of $279.24 and a 12-month high of $423.56. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $355.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $370.45. The firm has a market cap of $20.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.86, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.04.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on WAT shares. StockNews.com downgraded Waters from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. KeyCorp upgraded shares of Waters from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $460.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays dropped their price target on Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price objective on shares of Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $392.13.

Waters Company 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.