Waters (NYSE:WAT) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Waters (NYSE:WAT) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 14.400-14.600 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 14.380. The company issued revenue guidance of $6.4 billion-$6.5 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $6.4 billion. Waters also updated its Q2 2026 guidance to 2.950-3.050 EPS.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $440.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $425.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $330.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, HSBC began coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $460.00 price target for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $387.53.

Waters Stock Performance

NYSE WAT opened at $302.04 on Tuesday. Waters 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 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.73. The company has a market capitalization of $29.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a fifty day moving average of $309.75 and a 200-day moving average of $351.98.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 34.79%. The company had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.20 billion. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Waters will post 14.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Waters news, Director Wei Jiang purchased 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $289.46 per share, with a total value of $144,730.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 3,441 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $996,031.86. This trade represents a 17.00% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Waters

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Veritas Asset Management LLP lifted its stake in Waters by 112.3% in the fourth quarter. Veritas Asset Management LLP now owns 1,241,206 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $471,447,000 after purchasing an additional 656,436 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in Waters by 509.8% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 671,103 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $254,906,000 after purchasing an additional 561,047 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its stake in Waters by 1,611.3% in the fourth quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 581,063 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $220,705,000 after purchasing an additional 547,109 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Waters by 32.3% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,472,419 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $441,446,000 after purchasing an additional 359,596 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. bought a new stake in Waters in the fourth quarter worth $70,316,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.