Groupe la Francaise Grows Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Groupe la Francaise raised its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 53.3% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 47,551 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 16,542 shares during the quarter. Groupe la Francaise’s holdings in Waters were worth $17,847,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Anchor Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at about $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV acquired a new position in Waters during the first quarter worth about $27,000. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. acquired a new position in Waters during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its holdings in Waters by 121.2% in the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vision Retirement LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on WAT shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $420.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $420.00 target price on Waters in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Barclays upped their target price on Waters from $425.00 to $460.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Waters in a research report on Friday, June 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 price target for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $424.35.

Waters News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shares are up 3.1% since the company’s most recent earnings report, reflecting investor confidence after Waters exceeded quarterly expectations with adjusted EPS of $3.05 versus the $3.01 consensus and revenue of $1.65 billion versus $1.62 billion expected. Why Is Waters Up Since Last Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts currently assign Waters a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy,” providing continued support for the stock. The company also maintained 2026 earnings guidance of $14.45 to $14.65 per share. Waters Given Moderate Buy Recommendation
• Neutral Sentiment: Waters’ latest results included strong reported year-over-year revenue growth and an earnings beat, but investors may focus on whether that momentum is sustainable and whether the company can deliver its full-year outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock trades at a very elevated valuation—approximately 102 times earnings—so expectations are high. Any weaker-than-expected demand, guidance revision, or margin pressure could produce volatility despite the positive analyst consensus.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Waters news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total transaction of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,086,515.52. This trade represents a 16.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Waters Stock Up 0.0%

WAT stock opened at $409.39 on Monday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $391.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $351.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.22 billion, a PE ratio of 102.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.38 and a beta of 1.19. Waters Corporation has a 12 month low of $282.77 and a 12 month high of $426.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.86 and a quick ratio of 1.29.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 11.27%. The business had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.62 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.95 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 113.3% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.