Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich Boosts Stock Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich raised its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 482.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 65,019 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 53,862 shares during the period. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich’s holdings in Waters were worth $19,363,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 65.2% during the first quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 11,266 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,355,000 after purchasing an additional 4,446 shares during the period. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 62.8% in the first quarter. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC now owns 1,050 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $313,000 after purchasing an additional 405 shares during the last quarter. Penobscot Investment Management Company Inc. purchased a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $270,000. Duncker Streett & Co. Inc. purchased a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter worth about $64,000. Finally, Montag A & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $222,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $369.45 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 1.79. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $355.56 and a 200-day moving average price of $346.70. Waters Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $414.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.28 billion, a PE ratio of 46.94, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.20.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. The company had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. Waters’s revenue was up 91.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.25 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on WAT shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $350.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. HSBC boosted their price target on Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price objective on Waters in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Waters in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $425.00 target price for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $401.60.

About Waters

Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.

Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.