Christopher Kuebler Sells 3,626 Shares of Waters (NYSE:WAT) Stock

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of Waters stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,086,515.52. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link.

Waters Price Performance

WAT stock opened at $406.94 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $373.23 and its 200 day moving average price is $345.56. The firm has a market cap of $39.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 101.48, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a current ratio of 0.77. Waters Corporation has a 1 year low of $275.05 and a 1 year high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%.The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.95 earnings per share. Waters’s revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the 2nd quarter valued at about $3,182,191,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter worth approximately $265,751,000. Veritas Asset Management LLP boosted its position in shares of Waters by 112.3% in the fourth quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 1,241,206 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $471,447,000 after acquiring an additional 656,436 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in Waters by 509.8% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 671,103 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $254,906,000 after purchasing an additional 561,047 shares during the period. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP increased its position in Waters by 1,611.3% during the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 581,063 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $220,705,000 after purchasing an additional 547,109 shares during the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Waters

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waters reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.05 per share, exceeding the $3.01 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $1.65 billion versus expectations of $1.62 billion. Management issued third-quarter earnings guidance of $3.95–$4.05 per share and maintained full-year guidance of $14.45–$14.65 per share. Waters Corporation 2026 Q2 Results Earnings Call Presentation
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains favorable following the results. Barclays raised its price target to $460 and kept an “overweight” rating, while Morgan Stanley set a $430 target. Waters has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $418.10. Waters analyst ratings and price targets
• Positive Sentiment: Recent institutional activity included new positions from several investment firms, and institutions collectively own approximately 94% of Waters’ outstanding shares, signaling substantial professional-investor support. Waters insider and institutional activity
• Neutral Sentiment: The stock is trading close to its 52-week high and well above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Its price-to-earnings ratio of about 101 suggests investors are already pricing in significant future growth.
• Negative Sentiment: Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares for approximately $1.44 million, reducing his direct ownership by 16.92%. The transaction does not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s outlook, but it may create modest sentiment pressure. Waters director stock sale

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on WAT shares. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $425.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, June 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 price objective for the company. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $420.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $418.10.

Waters Company Profile

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.