Waters (NYSE:WAT) PT Raised to $340.00 at Evercore ISI

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its target price lifted by Evercore ISI from $320.00 to $340.00 in a research note released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. They currently have an in-line rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also commented on WAT. Barclays boosted their price target on Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Wolfe Research began coverage on Waters in a research note on Wednesday, December 13th. They set a peer perform rating on the stock. TheStreet raised Waters from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 13th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on Waters from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on Waters from $265.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, December 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have given a hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $298.67.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT stock opened at $335.94 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.89 billion, a PE ratio of 30.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.69 and a beta of 0.92. Waters has a 52-week low of $231.90 and a 52-week high of $363.80. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $336.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $302.54. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.56 by $0.06. Waters had a return on equity of 81.30% and a net margin of 21.72%. The company had revenue of $819.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $815.50 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.84 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Waters will post 11.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In other Waters news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total value of $177,770.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $799,965. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.98% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. IMPACTfolio LLC raised its holdings in Waters by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. IMPACTfolio LLC now owns 803 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $264,000 after acquiring an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers Inc. ID increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers Inc. ID now owns 11,469 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $3,776,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,354 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $446,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 55.3% during the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 118 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Summit Trail Advisors LLC boosted its position in Waters by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 1,180 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $324,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.