Waters (NYSE:WAT) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.08 EPS

Waters (NYSE:WAT) posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The medical instruments supplier reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.02 by $0.08, Zacks reports. Waters had a return on equity of 49.93% and a net margin of 21.43%. Waters updated its Q1 2025 guidance to 2.170-2.250 EPS and its FY 2025 guidance to 12.700-13.000 EPS.

Waters Stock Down 6.7 %

NYSE:WAT traded down $27.23 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $378.07. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 652,695 shares, compared to its average volume of 421,214. Waters has a 52-week low of $279.24 and a 52-week high of $423.56. The company has a current ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 1.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.37 and a beta of 1.01. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $390.34 and a 200-day moving average of $363.72.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on WAT shares. Sanford C. Bernstein raised Waters from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $430.00 price target for the company in a report on Friday, January 10th. Scotiabank initiated coverage on shares of Waters in a research note on Monday, December 23rd. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $430.00 target price for the company. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Waters from $400.00 to $430.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Barclays upgraded shares of Waters from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $360.00 to $415.00 in a research note on Monday. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on Waters from $363.00 to $410.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 4th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $388.64.

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.