Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. Buys 2,896 Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 6.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 46,461 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,896 shares during the period. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in Waters were worth $17,236,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Waters Trading Up 1.9 %

WAT opened at $341.14 on Friday. 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 Co. has a fifty-two week low of $279.24 and a fifty-two week high of $423.56. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $356.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $370.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.85, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.04.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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, research analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on WAT. Bank of America cut their price target on Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Baird R W raised Waters from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Waters from $405.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. KeyCorp upgraded shares of Waters from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $460.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $392.13.

About Waters

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.