Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Stock Holdings Increased by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 40.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 98,698 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after purchasing an additional 28,191 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc.’s holdings in Waters were worth $36,615,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of Waters during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in Waters by 235.7% during the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 94 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its stake in Waters by 129.3% in the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in Waters in the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Waters by 54.3% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on WAT. KeyCorp upgraded Waters from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $460.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, March 31st. Baird R W upgraded shares of Waters from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Waters from $405.00 to $410.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Scotiabank upgraded Waters from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and raised their target price for the company from $430.00 to $450.00 in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Waters from $415.00 to $420.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Waters presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $401.31.

Waters Price Performance

NYSE:WAT opened at $324.57 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 0.94 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The stock has a market cap of $19.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.30, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $381.53 and a 200 day moving average price of $373.46. Waters Co. has a one year low of $279.24 and a one year 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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.02 by $0.08. Waters had a net margin of 21.56% and a return on equity of 46.31%. Analysts anticipate that Waters Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

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.