Analysts Set Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) PT at $387.53

Shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) have earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $392.4706.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on WAT shares. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Evercore raised Waters from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $350.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Barclays started coverage on Waters in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Waters from $415.00 to $355.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Monday, April 20th.

Insider Transactions at Waters

In related news, Director Wei Jiang purchased 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 16th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $289.46 per share, with a total value of $144,730.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 3,441 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $996,031.86. The trade was a 17.00% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Waters by 3.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,656,891 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $2,295,612,000 after buying an additional 246,128 shares in the last quarter. Fundsmith LLP grew its position in Waters by 9.6% during the third quarter. Fundsmith LLP now owns 3,955,498 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,185,898,000 after buying an additional 347,091 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased 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 valued at $806,397,000 after buying an additional 825,723 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Waters by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,593,388 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $602,921,000 after buying an additional 8,590 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mawer Investment Management Ltd. raised its position in shares of Waters by 225.5% in the third quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,551,010 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $465,008,000 after acquiring an additional 1,074,449 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and upgraded FY outlook — Waters reported adjusted EPS of $2.70 (ahead of consensus) and reported revenue of ~$1.27B; management raised FY 2026 EPS and revenue targets, which is the primary catalyst for the rally. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition and organic strength — The recently acquired Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions unit contributed materially (~$520M reported this quarter) and organic revenue grew double digits, supporting medium‑term revenue expansion. QuiverQuant Analysis
• Positive Sentiment: Market opportunities highlighted by management — CEO comments point to demand from GLP‑1 drug developers (separation column exposure) and growing innovation in China as additional growth levers for Waters’ instruments and consumables. CNBC Video
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst mix remains varied — some firms (e.g., William Blair) reiterate Buy on execution and BD synergies, while price targets across the street show a wide range, leaving room for further re‑rating as results are digested. TipRanks
• Neutral Sentiment: High trading volume and investor attention — elevated volume suggests the beat/guidance story is attracting short‑term flows; continued execution will be needed to sustain gains. Reuters
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan moved its price target to $345 but kept a Neutral rating — that PT is roughly in line with current levels and signals limited near‑term upside from that shop, which could cap momentum if other banks stay cautious. Benzinga
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 EPS range slightly softer vs. consensus — Waters gave Q2 EPS guidance of $2.95–$3.05 (consensus ~3.03); while the full‑year guide was lifted, the near‑term range leaves little margin for upside and could temper expectations. Zacks

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $349.91 on Friday. Waters has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $414.15. The company’s 50 day moving average is $310.37 and its 200 day moving average is $352.16. The company has a current ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The company has a market cap of $34.35 billion, a PE ratio of 44.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.14.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.20 billion. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 91.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business 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. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Waters will post 14.39 EPS for the current year.

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.