OP Asset Management Ltd Makes New Investment in Waters Corporation $WAT

OP Asset Management Ltd bought a new stake in Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 10,053 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $2,994,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 121.2% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 73 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 40 shares in the last quarter. SHP Wealth Management bought a new stake in Waters during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in Waters during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP acquired a new stake in Waters during the 1st quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, eCIO Inc. bought a new position in Waters in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WAT has been the subject of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Waters to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. HSBC boosted their price objective on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $435.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Evercore raised shares of Waters from an “in-line” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $350.00 target price for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Piper Sandler began coverage on Waters in a report on Thursday, June 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $400.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America increased their price objective on Waters from $370.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Three 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’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $396.68.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of WAT opened at $374.97 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $346.96 and a 200-day moving average of $347.52. Waters Corporation has a one year low of $275.05 and a one year high of $414.15. The company has a market cap of $36.82 billion, a PE ratio of 47.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.13.

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

Waters 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.