Waters (NYSE:WAT) Rating Increased to Moderate Buy at Royal Bank Of Canada

Royal Bank Of Canada upgraded shares of Waters (NYSE:WAT) to a moderate buy rating in a research report report published on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research analysts have also recently weighed in on WAT. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Waters from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $350.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Waters in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $403.60.

Waters Trading Up 2.5%

NYSE:WAT opened at $377.42 on Wednesday. Waters has a 52-week low of $275.05 and a 52-week high of $414.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $357.09 and a 200-day simple moving average of $346.69. The company has a market capitalization of $37.06 billion, a PE ratio of 47.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.23 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 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The firm had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.25 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Waters will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter worth $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at $27,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT grew its position in shares of Waters by 121.2% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares during the period. Vision Retirement LLC acquired a new position in Waters in the first quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Bollard Group LLC purchased a new position in Waters during the first quarter worth about $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.