Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS Acquires 8,998 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its holdings in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 65.0% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 22,846 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,998 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS’s holdings in Waters were worth $6,804,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 121.2% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Louisbourg Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in Waters in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. First United Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. lifted its position in Waters by 10,200.0% during the first quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 103 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of WAT stock opened at $376.81 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $360.75 and a 200 day moving average of $346.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.13. Waters Corporation has a 1-year low of $275.05 and a 1-year high of $414.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.00 billion, a PE ratio of 47.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.20.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.31 by $0.39. Waters had a return on equity of 15.60% and a net margin of 11.91%.The business had revenue of $1.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $2.25 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 91.4% on a year-over-year basis. 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WAT shares. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Waters from $345.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $425.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada began coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Waters from $330.00 to $345.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, HSBC raised their price target on Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $401.60.

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.