Waters Corporation $WAT Stock Position Cut by Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich

Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich lessened its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 45.8% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 35,226 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 29,793 shares during the period. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich’s holdings in Waters were worth $13,211,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WAT. California Public Employees Retirement System increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 25.4% in the first quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 138,423 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $41,222,000 after buying an additional 28,074 shares in the last quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise lifted its stake in Waters by 329.0% in the 4th quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 4,294 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,631,000 after acquiring an additional 3,293 shares in the last quarter. Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth approximately $942,000. Dudley & Shanley Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 101.3% during the 2nd quarter. Dudley & Shanley Inc. now owns 23,590 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $8,847,000 after buying an additional 11,870 shares during the period. Finally, Hahn Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Waters during the first quarter valued at $1,490,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Waters News

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shares are up 3.1% since the company’s most recent earnings report, reflecting investor confidence after Waters exceeded quarterly expectations with adjusted EPS of $3.05 versus the $3.01 consensus and revenue of $1.65 billion versus $1.62 billion expected. Why Is Waters Up Since Last Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts currently assign Waters a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy,” providing continued support for the stock. The company also maintained 2026 earnings guidance of $14.45 to $14.65 per share. Waters Given Moderate Buy Recommendation
• Neutral Sentiment: Waters’ latest results included strong reported year-over-year revenue growth and an earnings beat, but investors may focus on whether that momentum is sustainable and whether the company can deliver its full-year outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock trades at a very elevated valuation—approximately 102 times earnings—so expectations are high. Any weaker-than-expected demand, guidance revision, or margin pressure could produce volatility despite the positive analyst consensus.

Waters Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of Waters stock opened at $409.39 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.86 and a quick ratio of 1.29. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $391.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $351.45. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $282.77 and a 1 year high of $426.22. The company has a market capitalization of $40.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 102.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.19.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%.The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.62 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.95 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total transaction of $1,442,930.44. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at $7,086,515.52. The trade was a 16.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.31% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $425.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings cut Waters from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Barclays raised their target price on Waters from $425.00 to $460.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Piper Sandler upgraded Waters from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $400.00 to $480.00 in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, TD Cowen upgraded Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $408.00 to $475.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waters has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $424.35.

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.