Envestnet Asset Management Inc. Purchases 8,130 Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 7.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 120,167 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,130 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. owned approximately 0.20% of Waters worth $44,580,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WAT. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in shares of Waters by 235.7% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 129.3% during the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new position in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Waters by 54.3% in the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Trading Down 6.6 %

NYSE WAT opened at $314.30 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $18.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.04. Waters Co. has a fifty-two week low of $279.24 and a fifty-two week high of $423.56. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $370.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $372.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.94.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results 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%. On average, analysts forecast that Waters Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WAT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group increased their target price on Waters from $405.00 to $410.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Scotiabank raised Waters from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and raised their price objective for the company from $430.00 to $450.00 in a report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. StockNews.com cut shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Waters from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $430.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $397.25.

Waters 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.