Impax Asset Management Group plc Sells 10,822 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Impax Asset Management Group plc decreased its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 263,546 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 10,822 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc owned about 0.44% of Waters worth $79,014,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Waters during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in Waters by 115.4% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 112 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Waters by 65.4% in the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 134 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new position in shares of Waters during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Waters by 510.3% during the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 177 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on WAT. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. HSBC assumed coverage on Waters in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $460.00 price target for the company. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Waters from $410.00 to $350.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $363.00 price objective on Waters in a research note on Tuesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $400.84.

Waters News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — Waters reported $4.53 EPS and $932M revenue, topping consensus and showing year‑over‑year revenue growth, supporting the company’s operating strength. Zacks: Waters Beats Q4
• Positive Sentiment: Major analyst bullishness: Guggenheim reaffirmed a Buy and set a $440 price target, and Citi initiated coverage with a Buy and $425 target — both imply sizable upside versus the current level. Benzinga / Guggenheim TickerReport / Citi
• Positive Sentiment: Waters completed the Reverse Morris Trust combination with BD’s Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions business, creating a larger life‑sciences company and naming Claire M. Fraser, Ph.D. to the board — a strategic step that management says will drive scale and synergies. PR Newswire: Combination Closed
• Neutral Sentiment: Evercore ISI initiated coverage with an In‑Line rating and $360 target — modest upside but not an upgrade; this is informational rather than a clear directional catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term guidance disappointed: Waters guided Q1 EPS of $2.25–$2.35 vs. consensus ~ $2.52 and flagged first‑quarter profit below Wall Street estimates, which pressured sentiment. Yahoo Finance: Q1 Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts trimmed targets or tempered ratings: Bank of America cut its price target to $350 and kept a Neutral rating, and TD Cowen maintained a Hold while lowering its target to $373 — incremental negative influence on sentiment. Benzinga / BofA TipRanks / TD Cowen
• Positive Sentiment: Management set FY‑2026 targets that reflect the BD integration: projected revenue around $6.4–$6.46B and a target margin near 28.1%, signaling potential longer‑term upside if synergies materialize. MSN: FY2026 Targets

Waters Stock Down 0.4%

WAT stock opened at $326.82 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $385.01 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $347.69. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $414.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.46 billion, a PE ratio of 30.35, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.50 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $932.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $928.17 million. Waters had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 36.45%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.10 earnings per share. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Waters Profile

Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.

Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.