Anchor Capital Advisors LLC Decreases Stake in Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT)

Anchor Capital Advisors LLC lowered its stake in shares of Waters Co. (NYSE:WAT) by 31.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 93,556 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after selling 42,175 shares during the quarter. Anchor Capital Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.16% of Waters worth $30,801,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC bought a new position in Waters during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Private Trust Co. NA raised its position in shares of Waters by 55.3% during the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 118 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Waters during the third quarter worth $33,000. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Waters during the fourth quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Waters in the fourth quarter worth $41,000. Institutional investors own 94.01% of the company’s stock.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WAT traded up $3.79 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $315.09. 313,991 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 407,871. The company has a market cap of $18.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.69, a PEG ratio of 6.19 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 2.22 and a quick ratio of 1.57. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $334.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $307.57. Waters Co. has a 52 week low of $231.90 and a 52 week high of $363.80.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.56 by $0.06. The business 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 business’s revenue was down 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $3.84 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Waters Co. will post 11.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters

In related news, Director Linda Baddour sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $355.54, for a total value of $177,770.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 2,250 shares in the company, valued at approximately $799,965. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.82% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Waters from $290.00 to $330.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Waters from $320.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 4th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on Waters from $275.00 to $300.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. One research 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, Waters currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $298.67.

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.