Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Receives Average Recommendation of “Reduce” from Analysts

Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) have been given an average rating of “Reduce” by the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have given a hold rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $298.67.

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on WAT. Barclays increased their price target on Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Evercore ISI increased their price target on Waters from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 4th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Waters from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of Waters stock opened at $294.23 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $336.42 and its two-hundred day moving average is $305.38. The company has a market capitalization of $17.45 billion, a PE ratio of 27.12, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.05 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. Waters has a 52 week low of $231.90 and a 52 week high of $363.80.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.62 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.56 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $819.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $815.50 million. Waters had a return on equity of 81.30% and a net margin of 21.72%. Waters’s quarterly revenue was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.84 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Waters will post 11.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In other Waters news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total value of $177,770.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 2,250 shares in the company, valued at $799,965. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.98% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth about $28,000. First Capital Advisors Group LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 11,000.0% during the second quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 111 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

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.