Waters (NYSE:WAT) Upgraded to “Strong-Buy” at Baird R W

Baird R W upgraded shares of Waters (NYSE:WAT) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note published on Wednesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

WAT has been the topic of a number of other reports. Scotiabank raised shares of Waters from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $430.00 to $450.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Barclays upgraded Waters from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and raised their price target for the company from $360.00 to $415.00 in a research note on Monday, February 10th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Waters from $405.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Waters has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $397.40.

Waters Stock Down 0.3 %

Waters stock opened at $367.40 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.30, a P/E/G ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $388.97 and its 200-day simple moving average is $372.10. Waters has a twelve month low of $279.24 and a twelve month high of $423.56. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14.

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

Institutional Trading of Waters

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in Waters in the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake 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 buying an additional 66 shares during the period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its stake in shares of Waters by 129.3% in the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter worth $42,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.