Private Advisor Group LLC Has $2.26 Million Stock Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Private Advisor Group LLC increased its position in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 29.7% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 7,602 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 1,740 shares during the quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC’s holdings in Waters were worth $2,264,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new stake in Waters during the first quarter valued at about $30,000. First United Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Waters during the first quarter valued at about $31,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. grew its position in shares of Waters by 10,200.0% in the first 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 last quarter. Finally, SHP Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Stock Performance

WAT opened at $377.35 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $358.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $346.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market cap of $37.05 billion, a PE ratio of 47.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.20. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.20 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.25 earnings per share. Waters’s quarterly 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. Sell-side analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WAT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada assumed coverage on Waters in a research report on Wednesday. They set an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America lifted their price target on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Waters from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price objective on Waters in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Friday, June 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 price objective on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $400.37.

Waters Company 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.