Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Shares Sold by Forsta AP Fonden

Forsta AP Fonden lessened its holdings in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 4.5% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,800 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 600 shares during the quarter. Forsta AP Fonden’s holdings in Waters were worth $3,714,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the first quarter worth about $28,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Waters by 190.2% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 119 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 78 shares during the period. TFC Financial Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Waters by 19,900.0% in the second quarter. TFC Financial Management Inc. now owns 200 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 199 shares during the period. Finally, Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at about $72,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of Waters stock opened at $325.86 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $325.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $324.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.98, a PEG ratio of 5.59 and a beta of 0.95. Waters Co. has a 1-year low of $231.90 and a 1-year high of $367.21.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, July 31st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.08. Waters had a return on equity of 56.81% and a net margin of 20.71%. The firm had revenue of $709.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $700.09 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.80 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Waters Co. will post 11.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Waters to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Wells Fargo & Company began coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday, August 27th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $380.00 price objective on the stock. Evercore ISI lowered their target price on Waters from $320.00 to $300.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price target on Waters from $330.00 to $310.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating, two have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $318.50.

Waters 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.