Graypoint LLC Acquires New Holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Graypoint LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 547 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $203,000.

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

Waters Trading Up 1.8 %

NYSE WAT opened at $380.96 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $22.62 billion, a PE ratio of 36.35, a P/E/G ratio of 6.92 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a fifty day moving average of $376.85 and a 200 day moving average of $346.55. Waters Co. has a 1 year low of $279.24 and a 1 year high of $397.02. 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) last posted 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 the consensus estimate 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.84 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Waters Co. will post 11.79 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAT has been the topic of several analyst reports. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $363.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $335.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Cfra set a $389.00 price target on shares of Waters in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Waters from $340.00 to $380.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have given a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Waters has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $384.71.

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.