Waters (NYSE:WAT) Now Covered by Guggenheim

Analysts at Guggenheim began coverage on shares of Waters (NYSE:WAT) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage set a “buy” rating and a $440.00 price target on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Guggenheim’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 9.91% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Monday, December 1st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $423.00 price target for the company. Rothschild & Co Redburn assumed coverage on Waters in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $390.00 target price for the company. William Blair started coverage on Waters in a report on Monday. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Finally, Wolfe Research upgraded Waters from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $480.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $395.00.

Waters Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE WAT opened at $400.31 on Tuesday. Waters has a one year low of $275.05 and a one year high of $423.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 1.53 and a quick ratio of 1.08. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $383.54 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $337.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.79, a PEG ratio of 3.30 and a beta of 1.16.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Waters during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd purchased a new position in Waters during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in Waters by 115.4% in the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Waters by 65.4% in the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 134 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the 2nd quarter valued at about $53,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

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.