Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Shares Acquired by Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 4.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,649 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after acquiring an additional 1,261 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank owned 0.05% of Waters worth $11,741,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Waters in the third quarter worth about $35,000. 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 worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake 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 worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $63,000. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company's stock.

Waters Stock Up 3.8 %

NYSE WAT traded up $13.74 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $378.18. 378,958 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 437,672. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The company has a market cap of $22.47 billion, a PE ratio of 35.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $391.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $370.28. Waters Co. has a 52 week low of $279.24 and a 52 week high of $423.56.

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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 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, equities research analysts forecast that Waters Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. 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 research report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted 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 upgraded Waters from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $360.00 to $415.00 in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Bank of America decreased their target price on Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average 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.