Waters (NYSE:WAT) Price Target Raised to $530.00

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its target price upped by Barclays from $500.00 to $530.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Waters from $465.00 to $515.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 21st. Citigroup upped their price objective on Waters from $425.00 to $470.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. UBS Group upgraded Waters from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the company from $375.00 to $490.00 in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Evercore boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $410.00 to $480.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $475.48.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of Waters stock traded up $4.84 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $457.92. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 695,768 shares, compared to its average volume of 995,254. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $434.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $372.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.86. Waters has a one year low of $282.77 and a one year high of $482.28. The stock has a market cap of $44.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 196.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.16.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 3rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.00 by $0.10. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The business had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $3.40 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 120.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Waters will post 14.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Waters

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted 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 acquiring an additional 28,074 shares in the last quarter. Dudley & Shanley Inc. grew its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 11,870 shares in the last quarter. Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. bought a new position in Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $942,000. Hahn Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter worth about $1,490,000. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB grew its stake in Waters by 93.1% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 93,653 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,124,000 after buying an additional 45,145 shares during the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Waters

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waters reported $1.77 billion in third-quarter 2026 revenue and raised its full-year guidance, signaling improved expectations for the business. Waters Corporation Reports $1.77 Billion in Third Quarter 2026 Revenue and Raises Full-Year Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: The company agreed to acquire MOBILion Systems, expanding its mass spectrometry and AI-powered proteomics capabilities. The strategic fit could broaden Waters’ technology offering, though the reported item does not quantify the deal’s financial impact. Waters Corporation Acquires MOBILion Systems
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan, Barclays, KeyCorp, TD Cowen, Citigroup, and RBC issued reports indicating higher price targets or strong potential appreciation, reinforcing a favorable analyst outlook. JPMorgan price target Barclays outlook KeyCorp outlook TD Cowen price target Citigroup price target RBC outlook

About Waters

Waters Corporation develops and supplies analytical instruments, software, and consumables used to identify, measure, and characterize chemical and biological materials. Its products include liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry systems, which help customers analyze complex samples.

The company serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology businesses, academic and government laboratories, and customers in fields such as food, environmental testing, and materials science. Waters operates internationally, with customers and operations across multiple regions.

Founded in 1958 by James L.