Granite Investment Partners LLC Invests $419,000 in Waters Corporation $WAT

Granite Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 1,406 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $419,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WAT. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT boosted its position in Waters by 121.2% in the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $30,000. First United Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 10,200.0% in the 1st quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 103 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Finally, SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT opened at $377.42 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.79. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $357.09 and a 200 day moving average of $346.69. The firm has a market cap of $37.06 billion, a PE ratio of 47.96, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 1.20. Waters Corporation has a one year low of $275.05 and a one year high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.25 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 91.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on WAT shares. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $345.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Four 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $403.60.

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.