Waters Corporation $WAT Shares Bought by Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund lifted its stake in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 184.1% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 20,893 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 13,540 shares during the quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Waters were worth $6,222,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. California Public Employees Retirement System boosted its stake in Waters by 25.4% during the first quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 138,423 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $41,222,000 after buying an additional 28,074 shares in the last quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise raised its position in Waters by 329.0% in the fourth quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 4,294 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,631,000 after acquiring an additional 3,293 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in Waters by 106.7% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 2,751 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,045,000 after acquiring an additional 1,420 shares during the last quarter. Ramsay Stattman Vela & Price Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the 1st quarter worth approximately $942,000. Finally, M&T Bank Corp raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 1,662.4% in the 4th quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 64,273 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $24,413,000 after purchasing an additional 60,626 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $379.37 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $367.80 and its 200-day moving average is $345.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.13. The company has a market capitalization of $37.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.20. Waters Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $275.05 and a fifty-two week high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.70 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.31 by $0.39. The business had revenue of $1.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.20 billion. Waters had a net margin of 11.91% and a return on equity of 15.60%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 91.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.25 earnings per share. Waters has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.950-3.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.400-14.600 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $387.00 target price on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Piper Sandler began coverage on Waters in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $400.00 target price on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $350.00 target price on shares of Waters in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $440.00 target price on shares of Waters in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $401.60.

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.