Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Sells 18,414 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. reduced its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 39.0% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 28,828 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 18,414 shares during the quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A.’s holdings in Waters were worth $10,950,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in WAT. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. increased its position in Waters by 225.5% during the 3rd quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,551,010 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $465,008,000 after purchasing an additional 1,074,449 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. raised its stake in Waters by 31.0% in the second quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,021,358 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,403,615,000 after buying an additional 950,687 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in Waters by 44.3% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,689,693 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $806,397,000 after buying an additional 825,723 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Waters in the second quarter worth about $266,384,000. Finally, Veritas Asset Management LLP bought a new stake in Waters during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $175,320,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Price Performance

NYSE WAT opened at $289.38 on Friday. Waters Corporation has a one year low of $275.05 and a one year high of $414.15. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $333.26 and a 200 day moving average of $350.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.73. The company has a market capitalization of $28.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.87, a PEG ratio of 2.07 and a beta of 1.20.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.50 by $0.03. Waters had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 34.79%. The firm had revenue of $932.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $928.17 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.10 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Waters

In related news, Director Wei Jiang bought 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $289.46 per share, with a total value of $144,730.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 3,441 shares in the company, valued at approximately $996,031.86. This trade represents a 17.00% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Robert W. Baird set a $363.00 target price on Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Waters from $415.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Barclays started coverage on Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $425.00 target price on the stock. Finally, HSBC initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $460.00 price target for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $394.63.

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.