Brokerages Set Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) PT at $307.20

Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) have been given an average recommendation of “Reduce” by the eleven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and ten have given a hold recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $301.20.

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on WAT shares. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Waters from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, June 28th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Waters from $319.00 to $312.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on Waters from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Waters in a report on Monday, June 3rd. They set a “hold” rating and a $320.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Waters from $330.00 to $332.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th.

Waters Trading Up 0.6 %

NYSE WAT opened at $284.49 on Wednesday. Waters has a 52-week low of $231.90 and a 52-week high of $367.21. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $315.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $323.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.92, a P/E/G ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.30, a current ratio of 1.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.11. Waters had a return on equity of 66.59% and a net margin of 20.75%. The business had revenue of $636.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $635.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.49 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Waters will post 11.85 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Waters

In related news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.64, for a total transaction of $1,446,560.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 14,716 shares in the company, valued at $5,321,894.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Richard H. Fearon acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 28th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $332.90 per share, for a total transaction of $332,900.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,653 shares in the company, valued at approximately $550,283.70. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.64, for a total value of $1,446,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 14,716 shares in the company, valued at $5,321,894.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.82% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. IMPACTfolio LLC increased its holdings in Waters by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. IMPACTfolio LLC now owns 803 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $264,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers Inc. ID lifted its position in Waters by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers Inc. ID now owns 11,469 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,776,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. PFG Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Waters by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. PFG Investments LLC now owns 1,250 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $430,000 after acquiring an additional 35 shares during the period. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Waters by 2.7% during the fourth quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,354 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $446,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the period. Finally, Eads & Heald Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of Waters by 5.9% during the first quarter. Eads & Heald Wealth Management now owns 681 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $234,000 after purchasing an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Waters

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.