Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) Shares Acquired by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 40.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 98,698 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after buying an additional 28,191 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 0.17% of Waters worth $36,615,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WAT. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Waters in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake in shares of Waters by 235.7% in 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 period. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings 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 valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the last quarter. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of Waters during the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Waters by 54.3% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 125 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Waters Trading Down 6.0 %

NYSE:WAT opened at $324.57 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $381.53 and a 200 day simple moving average of $373.46. 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 capitalization of $19.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 1.00. Waters Co. has a 1-year low of $279.24 and a 1-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, topping 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%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Waters Co. will post 12.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on WAT shares. KeyCorp upgraded Waters from a “sector weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $460.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, March 31st. Sanford C. Bernstein raised shares of Waters from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $430.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of Waters from $430.00 to $410.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Robert W. Baird raised shares of Waters from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $396.00 to $407.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Finally, UBS Group raised 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. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Waters currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $401.31.

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.