Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC Boosts Holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 1.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,774 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Waters were worth $1,358,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Waters by 96.8% in the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 868 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $252,000 after purchasing an additional 427 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Waters by 8.6% in the second quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 26,234 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $7,611,000 after acquiring an additional 2,086 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Waters by 21.0% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 448,304 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $130,053,000 after acquiring an additional 77,951 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in shares of Waters by 34.8% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 159,995 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $57,579,000 after acquiring an additional 41,339 shares during the period. Finally, Magnetar Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Waters in the 2nd quarter valued at $2,944,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $397.13 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.38, a current ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. Waters Co. has a 52-week low of $279.24 and a 52-week high of $411.58. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $377.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $348.15. The company has a market capitalization of $23.58 billion, a PE ratio of 37.89, a P/E/G ratio of 6.92 and a beta of 1.01.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its earnings results on Friday, November 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.25. The company had revenue of $740.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $712.99 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.43% and a return on equity of 49.93%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.84 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 11.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Waters from $340.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded Waters from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $430.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Waters from $335.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 1st. Bank of America lifted their target price on Waters from $400.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Cfra set a $389.00 price target on Waters in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $384.71.

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.