Ethic Inc. Sells 4,352 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Ethic Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 47.4% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 4,823 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 4,352 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in Waters were worth $1,446,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. IFP Advisors Inc raised its holdings in Waters by 65.4% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 134 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters in the second quarter valued at about $53,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in shares of Waters during the second quarter valued at about $61,000. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV boosted its holdings in shares of Waters by 533.3% during the second quarter. Creative Financial Designs Inc. ADV now owns 190 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares during the period. Finally, Steph & Co. bought a new stake in shares of Waters in the second quarter worth about $73,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Trading Up 0.6%

WAT opened at $381.97 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $423.56. The stock has a market cap of $22.75 billion, a PE ratio of 35.11, a PEG ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 1.16. The business has a 50 day moving average of $381.61 and a 200-day moving average of $337.13.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 19th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $608.55 million during the quarter. Waters had a return on equity of 36.59% and a net margin of 20.89%. Equities research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on WAT shares. Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Rothschild & Co Redburn started coverage on Waters in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. They set a “buy” rating and a $390.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Waters from $300.00 to $325.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Rothschild Redb upgraded shares of Waters to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $345.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $392.19.

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.