Fifth Third Bancorp Purchases 19,227 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Fifth Third Bancorp increased its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 891.8% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 21,383 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 19,227 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Waters were worth $6,368,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT boosted its stake in Waters by 121.2% during the 4th 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 last quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth $30,000. First United Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth $31,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 10,200.0% during the first quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 103 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SHP Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waters Stock Up 0.8%

WAT stock opened at $378.07 on Friday. Waters Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $414.15. The business’s 50-day moving average is $361.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $346.38. 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 market cap of $37.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.20.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.20 billion. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm 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. As a group, analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $410.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a report on Monday, July 6th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Waters from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $400.00 price target for the company. Finally, HSBC boosted their price objective on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $401.60.

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.