Waters (WAT) Given New $223.00 Price Target at Citigroup

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its target price upped by analysts at Citigroup from $190.00 to $223.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday. The brokerage currently has a “neutral” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Citigroup’s target price points to a potential upside of 5.69% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. William Blair restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday. Barclays restated a “hold” rating and issued a $202.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research note on Monday, January 8th. Zacks Investment Research downgraded shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, January 6th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Friday, January 5th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $230.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. They issued an “in-line” rating and a $198.00 price target on the stock. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $200.20.

Shares of Waters (WAT) opened at $210.99 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $16,780.00, a PE ratio of 1,172.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.82. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 5.71 and a current ratio of 6.16. Waters has a one year low of $137.72 and a one year high of $218.72.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 23rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.44 by $0.07. Waters had a net margin of 24.34% and a return on equity of 23.61%. The firm had revenue of $687.28 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $671.98 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.21 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. equities analysts predict that Waters will post 7.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other news, SVP Rohit Khanna sold 26,913 shares of Waters stock in a transaction on Friday, October 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $197.93, for a total value of $5,326,890.09. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 13,677 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,707,088.61. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Joann A. Reed sold 1,386 shares of Waters stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.07, for a total transaction of $268,981.02. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 93,159 shares of company stock valued at $18,412,172. Company insiders own 5.07% of the company’s stock.

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. ETF Managers Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the 2nd quarter valued at $106,000. Intellectus Partners LLC grew its position in Waters by 4.9% in the 2nd quarter. Intellectus Partners LLC now owns 667 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $123,000 after purchasing an additional 31 shares during the period. Bristlecone Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at $175,000. Advisory Services Network LLC grew its position in Waters by 6.0% in the 2nd quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 1,145 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $210,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, Southeast Asset Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Waters in the 2nd quarter valued at $225,000. Institutional investors own 92.18% of the company’s stock.

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Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation is an analytical instrument manufacturer. The Company operates through two segments: Waters and TA. It designs, manufactures, sells and services high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC and together with HPLC, referred to as LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products and post-warranty service plans.