Waters (NYSE:WAT) Now Covered by Citigroup

Investment analysts at Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Waters (NYSE:WAT) in a research report issued on Tuesday. The brokerage set a “buy” rating and a $425.00 price target on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Citigroup’s price target suggests a potential upside of 27.59% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. HSBC initiated coverage on Waters in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. They set a “buy” rating and a $460.00 price target on the stock. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on Waters in a report on Tuesday. They set an “in-line” rating and a $360.00 target price on the stock. William Blair began coverage on Waters in a report on Monday, January 5th. They issued an “outperform” rating for the company. Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $440.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Waters in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Two equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $399.74.

Waters Price Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT opened at $333.11 on Tuesday. Waters has a 52 week low of $275.05 and a 52 week high of $414.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a market cap of $19.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.32, a P/E/G ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 1.18. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $386.44 and its 200 day moving average price is $347.52.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.53 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.50 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $932.36 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $928.17 million. Waters had a net margin of 20.89% and a return on equity of 36.59%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.10 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Waters will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Waters

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. raised its position in shares of Waters by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 7,608 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $2,890,000 after purchasing an additional 26 shares during the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Waters by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,681 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $638,000 after buying an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 8.8% during the fourth quarter. Rosenberg Matthew Hamilton now owns 359 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $136,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Waters by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 616 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $234,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its position in shares of Waters by 2.9% in the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 1,048 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $386,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Waters this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Waters completed the Reverse Morris Trust combination with BD’s Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions business, creating a larger life?sciences company — a strategic move that expands scale and recurring?revenue opportunities. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company issued FY?2026 targets showing significantly higher pro?forma revenue (~$6.4–$6.5B) and a 28.1% margin target tied to BD integration — a positive signal for longer?term revenue and margin expansion if integration goes smoothly. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat consensus modestly (EPS $4.53 vs $4.50; revenue $932.4M vs $928.2M) and showed double?digit non?GAAP EPS growth year?over?year — evidence the underlying business remains resilient. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management appointed Claire M. Fraser, Ph.D., to the combined company leadership team — adds scientific credibility but is not an immediate financial catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Waters set Q1 EPS guidance at $2.25–$2.35, below the Street’s estimate (~$2.52), and flagged a cautious tone on the earnings call — the below?consensus Q1 guide is the main near?term driver of selling pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts cut price targets and trimmed optimism: Bank of America lowered its target to $350 and moved to Neutral; TD Cowen kept a Hold and cut its target to $373 — analyst downgrades amplify the market reaction to the weak Q1 guide and deal uncertainty. Read More. | Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Company’s earnings?call commentary was described as cautious, with analysts highlighting BD life?sciences weakness and a reduced premium valuation that could limit near?term upside. Read More.

Waters Company 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.