Waters (NYSE:WAT) Price Target Raised to $500.00

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its price objective hoisted by KeyCorp from $460.00 to $500.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. KeyCorp‘s price objective suggests a potential upside of 8.93% from the company’s current price.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on WAT. Robert W. Baird boosted their target price on Waters from $456.00 to $495.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, October 26th. Barclays lifted their price target on Waters from $460.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 7th. UBS Group upgraded Waters from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $375.00 to $490.00 in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $440.00 in a research note on Thursday, October 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $463.26.

Waters Trading Up 2.1%

Waters stock opened at $459.01 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.86. The firm has a market cap of $45.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 114.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.16. Waters has a 1 year low of $282.77 and a 1 year high of $482.28. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $432.11 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $371.16.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.00 by $0.10. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%. The company had revenue of $1.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.75 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.40 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 120.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Waters will post 14.56 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Waters

In related news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 17,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC grew its position in Waters by 3.5% during the third quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC now owns 704 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $309,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Caitlin John LLC lifted its position in Waters by 43.9% in the 2nd quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 82 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 910 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $400,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the period. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Kingswood Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 786 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $345,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the period. Finally, Avalon Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 2.3% during the 1st quarter. Avalon Trust Co now owns 1,330 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $396,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

More Waters News

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter results topped expectations: revenue was $1.767 billion, above guidance and analyst estimates, while adjusted EPS of $4.10 beat estimates and rose 21% year over year. Organic revenue grew 9% (10% in constant currency). Waters also raised its 2026 guidance. Waters Q3 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined a 2027 framework targeting a 29.2% adjusted operating margin and a path to high-single-digit growth, supporting the longer-term outlook. Waters 2027 framework
• Positive Sentiment: Waters agreed to acquire MOBILion Systems, adding high-resolution ion-mobility technology to its mass-spectrometry portfolio. The deal is intended to expand proteomics and biomarker-discovery capabilities, including research workflows designed for AI-driven data needs. MOBILion acquisition announcement
• Negative Sentiment: A valuation-focused article questions whether the shares are fully priced. That concern is relevant given WAT’s high valuation multiples and share price near its 12-month high, which could limit upside if growth does not meet expectations. Waters valuation analysis

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) develops and manufactures analytical technologies used to measure, identify and characterize chemical and biological substances. Its customers include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, industrial manufacturers, academic and government laboratories, and organizations involved in food, environmental and clinical testing.

The company’s product portfolio includes high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, chromatography columns and consumables, and laboratory software for data management and analysis.