Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio Sells 1,403 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio trimmed its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 4.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,021 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,403 shares during the period. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio’s holdings in Waters were worth $10,509,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 121.2% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. acquired a new stake in Waters during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. First Bancorp Inc ME bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the second quarter worth $30,000. SHP Wealth Management acquired a new position in Waters during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in Waters during the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 price target on Waters in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. TD Cowen raised Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $408.00 to $475.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $425.00 target price for the company. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Waters from $425.00 to $470.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $424.35.

Waters Price Performance

Waters stock opened at $414.94 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 103.48, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.19. Waters Corporation has a 52-week low of $282.77 and a 52-week high of $426.22. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $388.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $349.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a current ratio of 1.86.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.01 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.62 billion. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 113.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.95 EPS. 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, equities analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Waters news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This trade represents a 16.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

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.