Waters (NYSE:WAT) Price Target Cut to $355.00 by Analysts at Wells Fargo & Company

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its price objective cut by Wells Fargo & Company from $415.00 to $355.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target indicates a potential upside of 7.42% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also commented on WAT. UBS Group cut their price target on Waters from $395.00 to $370.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Waters in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $425.00 target price on the stock. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Waters in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Monday, December 1st. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $423.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Barclays began coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $400.00 price objective on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Waters has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $397.68.

Waters Stock Up 1.1%

WAT stock traded up $3.47 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $330.49. 279,855 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 718,947. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $385.01 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $347.69. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $19.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.50, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.18. Waters has a 52-week low of $275.05 and a 52-week high of $414.15.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.03. Waters had a net margin of 20.30% and a return on equity of 36.45%. The company had revenue of $932.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $928.17 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $4.10 earnings per share. Waters’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Waters will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Waters

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. 111 Capital acquired a new position in Waters during the 4th quarter worth approximately $370,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 3,111 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,182,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in Waters during the fourth quarter worth $4,788,000. Vise Technologies Inc. acquired a new position in Waters during the fourth quarter worth $205,000. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. raised its position in Waters by 3.4% in the fourth quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 12,723 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $4,833,000 after acquiring an additional 414 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

More Waters News

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waters completed the combination with BD’s Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions businesses, creating a larger life‑sciences company and positioning for revenue and synergy upside. Waters Completes Combination with BD Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions Businesses
• Positive Sentiment: Management provided 2026 targets of roughly $6.4B–$6.46B in revenue and a 28.1% margin target tied to BD integration — a clear path to higher operating profit over time. Waters projects $6.4B–$6.46B revenue for 2026 while targeting 28.1% margin through BD integration
• Positive Sentiment: Some analysts initiated/maintained bullish coverage: Guggenheim reiterated a Buy with a $440 PT and Citigroup started coverage at Buy with a $425 PT — signals of substantial upside from current levels. Benzinga coverage of Guggenheim rating Citigroup starts coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Waters reported Q4 results that modestly beat on EPS and revenue; investors are parsing the call for integration timing and risks. (Earnings call highlights available.) Waters Q4 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Market/commodity context: crude prices and FX moves can influence lab/industrial demand and input costs but are not primary drivers for WAT. Crude Prices Climb as US Tells Ships to Avoid Iranian Waters
• Negative Sentiment: Management forecasted a weaker-than-expected Q1 profit, which prompted an immediate share pullback as investors worried about near‑term earnings. Waters forecasts weak first-quarter profit, shares slide
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts trimmed targets or maintained conservative ratings after assessing BD life‑sciences weakness and valuation pressure (Bank of America cut its PT to $350; TD Cowen reduced its PT). Bank of America lowers price target TD Cowen maintains Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noted Waters underperformed some peers recently, boosting concern about execution and near‑term organic growth. Waters Corp. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitors

About Waters

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.