Czech National Bank Boosts Stock Holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Czech National Bank boosted its position in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 6.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,874 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 782 shares during the period. Czech National Bank’s holdings in Waters were worth $4,776,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Kennebec Savings Bank purchased a new position in Waters in the third quarter worth $33,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Waters in the third quarter valued at $35,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in shares of Waters by 235.7% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the 2nd quarter worth $59,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $397.13 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.89, a PEG ratio of 6.92 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a current ratio of 2.02. Waters Co. has a 1 year low of $279.24 and a 1 year high of $411.58. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $377.43 and its 200 day simple moving average is $348.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.68 by $0.25. Waters had a return on equity of 49.93% and a net margin of 21.43%. The business had revenue of $740.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $712.99 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.84 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 11.79 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WAT has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $430.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $340.00 to $380.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Evercore ISI upped their price target on Waters from $335.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Jefferies Financial Group raised Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $355.00 to $415.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Waters from $330.00 to $360.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $384.71.

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.