SG Americas Securities LLC Buys 31,459 Shares of Waters Corporation $WAT

SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) by 543.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 37,244 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 31,459 shares during the period. SG Americas Securities LLC’s holdings in Waters were worth $14,146,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Diversified Trust Co. grew its holdings in shares of Waters by 19.6% during the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co. now owns 2,797 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $1,062,000 after acquiring an additional 459 shares during the period. Marshall Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $846,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 13,367 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $5,364,000 after purchasing an additional 248 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its position in shares of Waters by 15.8% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 13,550 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $5,177,000 after purchasing an additional 1,848 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gilbert & Cook Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $267,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Waters Stock Down 3.7%

WAT stock opened at $289.38 on Friday. Waters Corporation has a twelve month low of $275.05 and a twelve month high of $414.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.27, a current ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market cap of $28.39 billion, a PE ratio of 26.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.20. The business has a 50 day moving average of $333.26 and a 200 day moving average of $351.05.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.03. Waters had a return on equity of 34.79% and a net margin of 20.30%.The business had revenue of $932.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $928.17 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.10 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Waters has set its FY 2026 guidance at 14.300-14.500 EPS and its Q1 2026 guidance at 2.250-2.350 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Waters Corporation will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WAT has been the subject of a number of research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $363.00 price objective on Waters in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on shares of Waters from $370.00 to $330.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Waters from $423.00 to $350.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Sunday, February 22nd. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, February 8th. Finally, HSBC initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $460.00 price target for the company. Two 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waters presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $394.63.

Insider Transactions at Waters

In other news, Director Wei Jiang purchased 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 16th. The shares were bought at an average price of $289.46 per share, for a total transaction of $144,730.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 3,441 shares in the company, valued at approximately $996,031.86. This trade represents a 17.00% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.