1,600 Shares in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Acquired by Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd

Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 1,600 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock, valued at approximately $594,000.

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

Waters Stock Performance

NYSE WAT opened at $378.18 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $391.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $370.28. 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 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. Waters Co. has a 52-week low of $279.24 and a 52-week high of $423.56.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its 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%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Waters Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WAT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. 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 report on Thursday, February 13th. 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. StockNews.com downgraded Waters from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded shares of Waters from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the stock 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 issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $391.07.

Waters 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.