ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC Takes $572,000 Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

ARQ Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 1,920 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $572,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. 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 worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 40 shares during the period. Louisbourg Investments Inc. bought a new stake in Waters in the first quarter worth about $30,000. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. First United Bank & Trust bought a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. boosted its position in shares of Waters by 10,200.0% during the 1st 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. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE WAT traded up $0.22 on Friday, hitting $377.35. 502,288 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 878,968. Waters Corporation has a 52-week low of $275.05 and a 52-week high of $414.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The company has a market capitalization of $37.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 47.95, a P/E/G ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.20. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $358.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $346.91.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.20 billion. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $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. Research analysts predict that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on WAT. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price target on Waters in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Barclays increased their price objective on Waters from $400.00 to $425.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, HSBC lifted their target price on Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $400.37.

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.