Waters (NYSE:WAT) Price Target Lowered to $312.00 at Robert W. Baird

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its price objective reduced by Robert W. Baird from $319.00 to $312.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price objective on shares of Waters from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Barclays boosted their price target on Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Finally, Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Waters from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Thursday, April 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $306.70.

Waters Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:WAT opened at $323.80 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 2.22, a quick ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. The firm has a market cap of $19.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.84, a PEG ratio of 6.39 and a beta of 0.98. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $332.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $310.85. Waters has a 12-month low of $231.90 and a 12-month high of $363.80.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 7th. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.10 by $0.11. Waters had a net margin of 21.72% and a return on equity of 81.30%. The business had revenue of $636.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $635.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $2.49 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Waters will post 11.89 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Waters news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total value of $177,770.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 2,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $799,965. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.82% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waters by 300.0% during the 3rd quarter. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC now owns 144 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

About Waters

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.