California State Teachers Retirement System Raises Stock Position in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 0.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 94,092 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 498 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System’s holdings in Waters were worth $32,389,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 186.3% in the 4th quarter. Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt now owns 146 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Stock Up 2.6 %

Shares of WAT traded up $8.62 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $336.28. The stock had a trading volume of 985,075 shares, compared to its average volume of 449,395. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $303.73 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $321.18. The company has a market cap of $19.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.00, a PEG ratio of 5.13 and a beta of 0.95. Waters Co. has a 1-year low of $231.90 and a 1-year high of $367.21.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $636.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $635.57 million. Waters had a net margin of 20.75% and a return on equity of 66.59%. The company’s revenue was down 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.49 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Waters Co. will post 11.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WAT has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Monday, June 3rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $320.00 price objective on the stock. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on shares of Waters from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Waters from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, June 28th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Waters from $319.00 to $312.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $332.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eleven have assigned a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $301.20.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.64, for a total value of $1,446,560.00. Following the completion of 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.64, for a total value of $1,446,560.00. Following the completion of 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Richard H. Fearon acquired 1,000 shares of Waters stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 28th. The stock was bought at an average price of $332.90 per share, with a total value of $332,900.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 1,653 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $550,283.70. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.82% of the company’s stock.

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.