River Global Investors LLP Sells 2,552 Shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

River Global Investors LLP lessened its holdings in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 6.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 34,337 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 2,552 shares during the period. Waters makes up 2.1% of River Global Investors LLP’s portfolio, making the stock its 3rd biggest position. River Global Investors LLP owned approximately 0.06% of Waters worth $11,302,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. IMPACTfolio LLC increased its holdings in Waters by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. IMPACTfolio LLC now owns 803 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $264,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares in the last quarter. Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers Inc. ID raised its position in Waters by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers Inc. ID now owns 11,469 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $3,776,000 after buying an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Waters by 3.9% in the 3rd quarter. Summit Trail Advisors LLC now owns 1,180 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $324,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in Waters by 3.6% during the 4th quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 1,413 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $465,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Waters by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 937 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock worth $257,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. 94.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT traded up $5.67 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $321.25. 507,996 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 405,587. The company has a quick ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 2.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.05 billion, a PE ratio of 29.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.28 and a beta of 0.98. Waters Co. has a 12 month low of $231.90 and a 12 month high of $363.80. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $333.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $308.98.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.62 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.56 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $819.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $815.50 million. Waters had a net margin of 21.72% and a return on equity of 81.30%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.84 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Waters Co. will post 11.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In other news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total transaction of $177,770.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,250 shares in the company, valued at $799,965. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.82% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on WAT. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on shares of Waters from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on Waters from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Thursday, April 4th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have assigned a hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Waters currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $298.67.

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.