Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich Cuts Stock Position in Waters Corporation $WAT

Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich cut its holdings in shares of Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 45.8% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 35,226 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 29,793 shares during the quarter. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich’s holdings in Waters were worth $13,211,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Caitlin John LLC lifted its stake in Waters by 43.9% in the second quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 82 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 7,608 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $2,890,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Waters by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 616 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co increased its stake in Waters by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Avalon Trust Co now owns 1,330 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $396,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC increased its stake in shares of Waters by 2.9% during the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $386,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Christopher Kuebler sold 3,626 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $397.94, for a total transaction of $1,442,930.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 17,808 shares in the company, valued at $7,086,515.52. The trade was a 16.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on Waters in a report on Friday, June 26th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $435.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Waters from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. HSBC upped their price objective on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, TD Cowen raised shares of Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $408.00 to $475.00 in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $424.35.

More Waters News

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Shares are up 3.1% since the company’s most recent earnings report, reflecting investor confidence after Waters exceeded quarterly expectations with adjusted EPS of $3.05 versus the $3.01 consensus and revenue of $1.65 billion versus $1.62 billion expected. Why Is Waters Up Since Last Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts currently assign Waters a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy,” providing continued support for the stock. The company also maintained 2026 earnings guidance of $14.45 to $14.65 per share. Waters Given Moderate Buy Recommendation
• Neutral Sentiment: Waters’ latest results included strong reported year-over-year revenue growth and an earnings beat, but investors may focus on whether that momentum is sustainable and whether the company can deliver its full-year outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: The stock trades at a very elevated valuation—approximately 102 times earnings—so expectations are high. Any weaker-than-expected demand, guidance revision, or margin pressure could produce volatility despite the positive analyst consensus.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT opened at $409.39 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.29, a current ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $391.93 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $351.45. The firm has a market cap of $40.22 billion, a PE ratio of 102.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.19. Waters Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $282.77 and a fifty-two week high of $426.22.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.05 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.01 by $0.04. Waters had a return on equity of 11.27% and a net margin of 3.58%.The company had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.95 EPS. Waters’s quarterly revenue was up 113.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 3.950-4.050 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 14.450-14.650 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Waters Corporation will post 14.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.