Waters (NYSE:WAT) Upgraded to “Outperform” at Robert W. Baird

Robert W. Baird upgraded shares of Waters (NYSE:WAT) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. They currently have $407.00 price target on the medical instruments supplier’s stock, up from their previous price target of $396.00.

WAT has been the topic of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Waters from $380.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Waters from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $430.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, January 10th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Waters from $405.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Scotiabank raised shares of Waters from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $430.00 to $450.00 in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $397.40.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $367.40 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $388.97 and a 200-day moving average of $372.10. The company has a market cap of $21.83 billion, a PE ratio of 34.30, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.65. Waters has a one year low of $279.24 and a one year high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a net margin of 21.56% and a return on equity of 46.31%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Waters will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in Waters in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new stake in Waters during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC grew its position in Waters by 235.7% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in Waters by 129.3% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Waters

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.