Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC Purchases Shares of 1,000 Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Kovitz Investment Group Partners LLC acquired a new position in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 1,000 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $371,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position 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 during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted 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 worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp purchased a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at about $42,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT stock opened at $351.16 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $352.54 and its 200-day moving average price is $369.92. The stock has a market cap of $20.89 billion, a PE ratio of 32.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.04. 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 data on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a net margin of 21.56% and a return on equity of 46.31%. On average, equities analysts expect that Waters Co. will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WAT shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. KeyCorp raised Waters from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $460.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Monday, March 31st. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $400.00 price target on shares of Waters and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded shares of Waters from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 26th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waters presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $392.13.

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.