Waters (NYSE:WAT) Stock Gets Price Target Boost from JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its price objective raised by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $435.00 to $470.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “neutral” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective points to a potential downside of 0.12% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $535.00 price target on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on Waters from $400.00 to $440.00 in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 target price on Waters in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on Waters from $475.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore upped their target price on Waters from $410.00 to $480.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $472.61.

Waters Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of WAT stock traded up $10.65 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $470.55. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 646,606 shares, compared to its average volume of 968,441. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $432.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $371.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a market cap of $46.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 117.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.16. Waters has a one year low of $282.77 and a one year high of $482.28.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, November 3rd. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.00 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.75 billion. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The firm’s revenue was up 120.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.40 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Waters will post 14.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In related news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total value of $1,442,930.44. Following the sale, the director owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. California Public Employees Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 25.4% during the 1st quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 138,423 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $41,222,000 after buying an additional 28,074 shares during the last quarter. Dudley & Shanley Inc. grew its stake in Waters by 101.3% in the 2nd quarter. Dudley & Shanley Inc. now owns 23,590 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $8,847,000 after buying an additional 11,870 shares during the last quarter. Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. acquired a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $942,000. Hahn Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Waters in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,490,000. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB raised its holdings in Waters by 93.1% in the 2nd quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 93,653 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,124,000 after acquiring an additional 45,145 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waters News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada raised its price target to $525 from $475 and maintained an “outperform” rating. KeyCorp also lifted its target, to $500 from $460, with an “overweight” rating—both revisions signal greater analyst confidence. Royal Bank of Canada price target update KeyCorp rating
• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS of $4.10 topped the roughly $4.00 consensus, and revenue of $1.77 billion exceeded estimates. Waters reported 9% organic revenue growth and raised its 2026 outlook, providing a key fundamental reason for investor optimism. Waters Q3 2026 results
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined a 2027 framework targeting a 29.2% adjusted operating margin and a path to high-single-digit growth, supporting the longer-term outlook. Waters 2027 framework
• Positive Sentiment: Waters acquired MOBILion Systems to add high-resolution ion-mobility technology to its mass spectrometry portfolio, expanding its proteomics capabilities. The CEO also pointed to AI-related demand for lab tools as drugmakers seek to accelerate research. MOBILion acquisition
• Neutral Sentiment: A recent valuation-focused article raises the question of whether WAT’s shares already reflect its improved outlook. That may temper enthusiasm, particularly given the stock’s elevated valuation. Waters valuation discussion

About Waters

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) develops and manufactures analytical technologies used to measure, identify and characterize chemical and biological substances. Its customers include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, industrial manufacturers, academic and government laboratories, and organizations involved in food, environmental and clinical testing.

The company’s product portfolio includes high-performance liquid chromatography and ultra-performance liquid chromatography systems, mass spectrometers, chromatography columns and consumables, and laboratory software for data management and analysis.