Brokerages Set Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Target Price at $298.67

Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) has earned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the ten ratings firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and nine have assigned a hold rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $305.78.

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on WAT shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Waters from $330.00 to $332.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays dropped their price target on Waters from $300.00 to $295.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Waters from $319.00 to $312.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Waters from $350.00 to $358.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Waters from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 4th.

Waters Stock Up 3.9 %

Waters stock opened at $336.42 on Tuesday. Waters has a fifty-two week low of $231.90 and a fifty-two week high of $363.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.39 and a beta of 0.98. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $332.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $311.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a current ratio of 2.22.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.10 by $0.11. Waters had a net margin of 21.72% and a return on equity of 81.30%. The firm had revenue of $636.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $635.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $2.49 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Waters will post 11.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In related news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total transaction of $177,770.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $799,965. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.82% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO purchased a new position in shares of Waters in 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. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Waters by 300.0% in the third quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 144 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 108 shares in the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.