Empowered Funds LLC Cuts Stake in Waters Corporation $WAT

Empowered Funds LLC reduced its position in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 24.6% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,004 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 1,954 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Waters were worth $2,252,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Waters during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Resources Management Corp CT ADV purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Waters during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT boosted its stake 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 valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vision Retirement LLC purchased a new position in Waters during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Waters Trading Up 1.6%

NYSE:WAT opened at $412.15 on Thursday. Waters Corporation has a 52 week low of $282.77 and a 52 week high of $426.22. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $390.51 and a 200 day moving average of $350.41. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $40.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 102.78, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.19.

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 target price on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. TD Cowen upgraded Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $408.00 to $475.00 in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $430.00 price target on Waters in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 price objective on Waters in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $424.35.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In other news, Director Christopher A. 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 value of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 17,808 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,086,515.52. This trade represents a 16.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.31% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Waters 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.