Fundsmith LLP Buys 347,091 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Fundsmith LLP boosted its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 9.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,955,498 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 347,091 shares during the quarter. Waters makes up about 6.0% of Fundsmith LLP’s holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Fundsmith LLP owned approximately 6.64% of Waters worth $1,185,898,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of WAT. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD acquired a new stake in Waters during the third quarter valued at $1,397,000. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in Waters in the 3rd quarter worth about $4,677,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,656,891 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,295,612,000 after buying an additional 246,128 shares during the last quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $175,320,000. Finally, Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. increased its holdings in Waters by 41.9% in the third quarter. Deroy & Devereaux Private Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 13,802 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $4,138,000 after buying an additional 4,077 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Price Performance

NYSE WAT opened at $286.42 on Friday. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $414.15. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $352.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $350.81. The company has a current ratio of 1.73, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The company has a market cap of $28.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.95 and a beta of 1.20.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 34.79%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.10 EPS. 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, sell-side analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on WAT shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Waters from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays began coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 target price on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Waters from $423.00 to $350.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Sunday, February 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $393.84.

About Waters

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.