Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft Issues Positive Forecast for Waters (NYSE:WAT) Stock Price

Waters (NYSE:WAT) had its price objective lifted by analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from $310.00 to $325.00 in a research report issued on Monday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “hold” rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft’s target price suggests a potential downside of 15.59% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on WAT. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Waters from $380.00 to $415.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Waters to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Leerink Partners raised shares of Waters from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $325.00 to $375.00 in a report on Thursday, August 1st. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $355.00 to $415.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 8th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Waters from $345.00 to $360.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $365.85.

Waters Trading Down 0.6 %

NYSE WAT traded down $2.20 on Monday, hitting $385.01. 446,958 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 429,356. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $342.04 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $325.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 2.10 and a quick ratio of 1.42. Waters has a 52-week low of $241.95 and a 52-week high of $391.00. The company has a market capitalization of $22.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.74, a P/E/G ratio of 6.35 and a beta of 0.97.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its earnings results on Friday, November 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.93 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $740.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $712.99 million. Waters had a net margin of 20.71% and a return on equity of 56.81%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.84 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Waters will post 11.6 EPS for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Waters

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. bought a new stake in Waters during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Waters by 190.2% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 119 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the period. TFC Financial Management Inc. increased its stake in Waters by 19,900.0% during the 2nd quarter. TFC Financial Management Inc. now owns 200 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. acquired a new position in Waters during the second quarter worth $59,000. Finally, Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Waters during the first quarter worth $72,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.