Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ Purchases 12,231 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ grew its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 62.3% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 31,874 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,231 shares during the quarter. Lansforsakringar Fondforvaltning AB publ’s holdings in Waters were worth $9,492,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT raised its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. purchased a new position in Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. First United Bank & Trust bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. lifted its position in shares of Waters by 10,200.0% in the 1st quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 103 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Finally, SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT opened at $378.00 on Thursday. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $414.15. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $349.79 and its 200 day moving average price is $346.85. 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 firm has a market cap of $37.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.20.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. The company had revenue of $1.27 billion during 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 for the quarter was up 91.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.25 EPS. 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, sell-side analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. TD Cowen increased their target price on Waters from $345.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $355.00 to $370.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Friday, June 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $425.00 price objective for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Waters currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $396.68.

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.