Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Position Trimmed by Phoenix Financial Ltd.

Phoenix Financial Ltd. reduced its holdings in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 2.2% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,400 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 31 shares during the period. Phoenix Financial Ltd.’s holdings in Waters were worth $519,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Waters in the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Waters by 235.7% in the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its position in Waters by 129.3% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new position in Waters during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. 94.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Price Performance

NYSE:WAT opened at $325.44 on Friday. Waters Co. has a 52-week low of $279.24 and a 52-week high of $423.56. 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 business’s 50-day moving average price is $368.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $372.37. The firm has a market cap of $19.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.39, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.04.

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised shares of Waters from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price target for the company from $396.00 to $407.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $350.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Bank of America reduced their price objective on Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, KeyCorp raised Waters from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $460.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 31st. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $397.25.

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.