Waters (NYSE:WAT) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its price target hoisted by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $330.00 to $345.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “neutral” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective would indicate a potential downside of 1.41% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on WAT. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Waters to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Barclays began coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. HSBC began coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $460.00 price target on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Waters from $410.00 to $350.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $395.12.

Waters Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $349.94 on Wednesday. Waters has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $414.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 0.71. The company’s fifty day moving average is $310.84 and its 200-day moving average is $352.26. The company has a market capitalization of $34.35 billion, a PE ratio of 44.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.14.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The company had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.25 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter 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. Equities research analysts predict that Waters will post 14.48 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Waters

In related news, Director Wei Jiang purchased 500 shares of Waters stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $289.46 per share, for a total transaction of $144,730.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 3,441 shares in the company, valued at approximately $996,031.86. This represents a 17.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Waters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD bought a new stake in Waters during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,397,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its holdings in Waters by 12.2% during the 3rd quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 231,852 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $69,512,000 after purchasing an additional 25,182 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its holdings in Waters by 543.8% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 37,244 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $14,146,000 after purchasing an additional 31,459 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Waters by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,656,891 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $2,295,612,000 after purchasing an additional 246,128 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Alberta Investment Management Corp bought a new stake in Waters during the 3rd quarter worth about $4,677,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Waters

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.