Guggenheim Reaffirms “Buy” Rating for Waters (NYSE:WAT)

Waters (NYSE:WAT)‘s stock had its “buy” rating reiterated by analysts at Guggenheim in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $440.00 price target on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Guggenheim’s target price points to a potential upside of 35.41% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen reissued a “hold” rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Citigroup started coverage on Waters in a report on Tuesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $425.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley started coverage on Waters in a report on Monday, December 1st. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $423.00 price target on the stock. Barclays initiated coverage on Waters in a research report on Tuesday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $400.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Waters from $385.00 to $415.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $399.74.

Waters Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE WAT traded down $3.19 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $324.95. 427,244 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 602,441. Waters has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $414.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.53, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.87, a PEG ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.18. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $386.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $347.52.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.50 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $932.36 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $928.17 million. Waters had a return on equity of 36.59% and a net margin of 20.89%.Waters’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.10 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Waters will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Waters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. grew its stake in Waters by 225.5% in the third quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,551,010 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $465,008,000 after purchasing an additional 1,074,449 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Waters by 31.0% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,021,358 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,403,615,000 after buying an additional 950,687 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in shares of Waters by 44.3% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 2,689,693 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $806,397,000 after buying an additional 825,723 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Waters during the second quarter worth $266,384,000. Finally, Veritas Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in Waters during the third quarter worth $175,320,000. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Key Waters News

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waters completed the Reverse Morris Trust combination with BD’s Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions business, creating a larger life‑sciences company — a strategic move that expands scale and recurring‑revenue opportunities. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company issued FY‑2026 targets showing significantly higher pro‑forma revenue (~$6.4–$6.5B) and a 28.1% margin target tied to BD integration — a positive signal for longer‑term revenue and margin expansion if integration goes smoothly. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat consensus modestly (EPS $4.53 vs $4.50; revenue $932.4M vs $928.2M) and showed double‑digit non‑GAAP EPS growth year‑over‑year — evidence the underlying business remains resilient. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management appointed Claire M. Fraser, Ph.D., to the combined company leadership team — adds scientific credibility but is not an immediate financial catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Waters set Q1 EPS guidance at $2.25–$2.35, below the Street’s estimate (~$2.52), and flagged a cautious tone on the earnings call — the below‑consensus Q1 guide is the main near‑term driver of selling pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut price targets and trimmed optimism: Bank of America lowered its target to $350 and moved to Neutral; TD Cowen kept a Hold and cut its target to $373 — analyst downgrades amplify the market reaction to the weak Q1 guide and deal uncertainty. Read More. | Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Company’s earnings‑call commentary was described as cautious, with analysts highlighting BD life‑sciences weakness and a reduced premium valuation that could limit near‑term upside. Read More.

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation is a global provider of analytical instruments, software and services for laboratory and research applications. The company designs, manufactures and sells technologies centered on liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, separation science, and related sample preparation and detection systems. Its product portfolio includes chromatographs, mass spectrometers, columns and consumables, laboratory informatics and workflow software, as well as technical support and training services that help customers run and interpret complex analyses.

Waters serves a wide range of end markets that include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research and testing laboratories, academic and government research institutions, clinical diagnostics, food and environmental testing, and industrial and chemical manufacturers.