Waters (NYSE:WAT) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at Hsbc Global Res

Waters (NYSE:WAT) was upgraded by research analysts at Hsbc Global Res to a “strong-buy” rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on WAT. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Waters in a report on Monday, December 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $423.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Waters from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 9th. TD Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Redburn Partners set a $390.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Waters from $385.00 to $415.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, December 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $398.61.

Waters Price Performance

WAT stock traded down $9.07 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $375.97. 63,190 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 446,073. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average price is $390.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $342.69. Waters has a 52-week low of $275.05 and a 52-week high of $423.56. The company has a market cap of $22.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.51, a PEG ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 1.16.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.40 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.19. The business had revenue of $799.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $780.05 million. Waters had a return on equity of 36.59% and a net margin of 20.89%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.93 EPS. Waters has set its FY 2025 guidance at 13.050-13.150 EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Waters will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in Waters during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd bought a new position in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in Waters by 115.4% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 112 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares during the period. eCIO Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter worth $49,000. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in Waters by 65.4% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 134 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.