Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Lowers Holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. reduced its position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 10.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 7,201 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 863 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.’s holdings in Waters were worth $2,672,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new position in Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its position in shares of Waters by 235.7% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its stake in 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 purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Baird R W upgraded Waters from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Waters from $407.00 to $355.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 22nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $392.13.

Waters Price Performance

WAT stock opened at $337.96 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.56, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.04. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $355.96 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $370.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. Waters Co. has a 12-month low of $279.24 and a 12-month high of $423.56.

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

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.