Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at KeyCorp from a "sector weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report issued on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has a $460.00 target price on the medical instruments supplier's stock. KeyCorp's price target indicates a potential upside of 41.61% from the stock's previous close. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Waters' Q1 2025 earnings at $2.20 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $2.88 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $3.23 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $4.45 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $12.76 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $13.83 EPS.
WAT has been the topic of several other research reports. Baird R W raised shares of Waters from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Barclays upgraded shares of Waters from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $360.00 to $415.00 in a research report on Monday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Scotiabank upgraded Waters from a "sector perform" rating to a "sector outperform" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $430.00 to $450.00 in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price target on Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $401.31.
Get Our Latest Analysis on Waters
Waters Price Performance
WAT traded down $20.27 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $324.85. 466,680 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 460,096. The company has a market capitalization of $19.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.36, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $383.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $373.18. 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 has a 52-week low of $279.24 and a 52-week high of $423.56.
Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last posted 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 return on equity of 46.31% and a net margin of 21.56%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Waters will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waters
Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in Waters during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 129.3% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in Waters during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
About Waters
(
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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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