Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Shares Sold by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank decreased its position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 4.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 167,700 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 8,400 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned approximately 0.28% of Waters worth $62,213,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC raised its position in Waters by 235.7% in the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in Waters by 129.3% in the fourth quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Waters by 54.3% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new stake in Waters during the 4th quarter worth about $63,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Stock Performance

NYSE:WAT opened at $378.18 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $22.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.31, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $391.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $370.28. Waters Co. has a fifty-two week low of $279.24 and a fifty-two week high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a net margin of 21.56% and a return on equity of 46.31%. Analysts expect that Waters Co. will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

WAT has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. UBS Group boosted their target price on Waters from $405.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded shares of Waters from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and increased their price target for the company from $430.00 to $450.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $391.07.

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.