Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH Invests $11.96 Million in Waters Corporation $WAT

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH bought a new position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 40,174 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $11,964,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT grew its holdings in Waters by 121.2% during the fourth 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 period. First United Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Waters in the first quarter worth about $31,000. SHP Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. DV Equities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Western Pacific Wealth Management LP bought a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $47,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE WAT opened at $374.97 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $346.96 and its 200 day moving average is $347.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $275.05 and a 12 month high of $414.15. The stock has a market cap of $36.82 billion, a PE ratio of 47.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.21.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. The business 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%. The company’s revenue was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. 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. Research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have weighed in on WAT shares. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $350.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped 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. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price 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.