Swedbank AB lifted its position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT - Free Report) by 6.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 31,288 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock after buying an additional 1,929 shares during the period. Swedbank AB owned approximately 0.05% of Waters worth $11,260,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cerity Partners LLC grew its position in Waters by 17.8% during the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 5,349 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $1,925,000 after acquiring an additional 807 shares during the period. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 3rd quarter valued at about $209,000. Meridian Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the 3rd quarter worth about $3,152,000. Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its position in Waters by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 1,340 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock worth $482,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Waters by 2.1% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 384,641 shares of the medical instruments supplier's stock valued at $138,428,000 after buying an additional 7,865 shares during the period. 94.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
WAT stock opened at $388.15 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $23.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.04, a PEG ratio of 6.83 and a beta of 0.97. Waters Co. has a 1-year low of $273.60 and a 1-year high of $393.38. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $355.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $332.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 2.02 and a quick ratio of 1.38.
Waters (NYSE:WAT - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, November 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.25. Waters had a net margin of 21.43% and a return on equity of 49.93%. The business had revenue of $740.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $712.99 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.84 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 11.79 EPS for the current year.
WAT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Leerink Partners raised shares of Waters from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $325.00 to $375.00 in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Waters to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Barclays raised 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. 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. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Waters from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $355.00 to $415.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $365.85.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on 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.
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