Waters (NYSE:WAT) Upgraded at KeyCorp

Waters (NYSE:WAT) was upgraded by equities researchers at KeyCorp from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday,Finviz reports. The firm presently has a $460.00 target price on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. KeyCorp’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 27.21% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Scotiabank raised Waters from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $430.00 to $450.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 13th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Waters from $405.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $401.31.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $361.61 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $21.48 billion, a PE ratio of 33.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.65. Waters has a one year low of $279.24 and a one year high of $423.56. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $387.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $372.92.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a return on equity of 46.31% and a net margin of 21.56%. As a group, analysts expect that Waters will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 235.7% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in shares of Waters by 129.3% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.