Swedbank AB Acquires 1,672 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Swedbank AB raised its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 42,198 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,672 shares during the period. Swedbank AB’s holdings in Waters were worth $12,651,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 65.4% during the second quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 134 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in Waters in the 2nd quarter valued at $53,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in Waters in the 2nd quarter valued at $61,000. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV increased its stake in Waters by 533.3% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 190 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steph & Co. acquired a new position in Waters during the second quarter worth $73,000. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Trading Up 0.4%

NYSE:WAT opened at $386.50 on Friday. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $378.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $335.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.53. The firm has a market cap of $23.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.50 and a beta of 1.16.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 19th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $608.55 million during the quarter. Waters had a return on equity of 36.59% and a net margin of 20.89%. On average, equities analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WAT has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Waters in a research note on Monday, December 1st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $423.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Waters from $385.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Redburn Partners set a $390.00 target price on Waters in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Rothschild Redb raised Waters to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $392.19.

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.