Duality Advisers LP Takes Position in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Duality Advisers LP purchased a new position in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 2,986 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $1,028,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of WAT. Foguth Wealth Management LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the first quarter valued at approximately $2,773,000. Meridian Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Waters during the fourth quarter worth $2,637,000. Raymond James & Associates boosted its position in Waters by 295.9% during the fourth quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 127,879 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $42,102,000 after purchasing an additional 95,577 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Waters in the fourth quarter valued at $962,000. Finally, MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH raised its position in shares of Waters by 2,134.3% in the first quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH now owns 5,921 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,038,000 after purchasing an additional 5,656 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Waters

In other Waters news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $361.64, for a total value of $1,446,560.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 14,716 shares in the company, valued at $5,321,894.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Waters news, Director Christopher A. Kuebler sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $361.64, for a total value of $1,446,560.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 14,716 shares in the company, valued at $5,321,894.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Richard H. Fearon acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 28th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $332.90 per share, with a total value of $332,900.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 1,653 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $550,283.70. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.82% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WAT has been the topic of a number of research reports. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Monday, June 3rd. They issued a “hold” rating and a $320.00 price target on the stock. TD Cowen increased their target price on Waters from $350.00 to $358.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 8th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on Waters from $330.00 to $332.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 8th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Waters from $319.00 to $312.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 8th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Waters from $295.00 to $275.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eleven have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $301.20.

Waters Trading Up 0.3 %

Shares of WAT stock opened at $302.40 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $17.94 billion, a PE ratio of 29.68, a P/E/G ratio of 4.80 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 1.30 and a current ratio of 1.94. Waters Co. has a fifty-two week low of $231.90 and a fifty-two week high of $367.21. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $311.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $321.59.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.11. Waters had a return on equity of 66.59% and a net margin of 20.75%. The company had revenue of $636.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $635.57 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.49 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 11.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.