UBS Upgrades Waters to Buy From Neutral, Adjusts Price Target to $490 From $375
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $444.82, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
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Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $444.82, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
Waters (WAT) shares rose over 1.9% in Thursday trading after Piper Sandler upgraded the stock to overweight from neutral, with price target of $480 per share.Trading volume stood at about 478,791 shares, compared with a daily average of over 924,901.Price: $421.59, Change: $+7.42, Percent Change: +1.79%
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $434.05, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
Waters' (WAT) Q4 guidance is conservative, as there is no inherent reason for legacy Waters' growth to decelerate and Becton Dickinson businesses are viewed as about 1% growers on a two-year stack, but management does not see any benefit to a bigger raise, RBC Capital Markets said in a Monday research note.The company could achieve high single-digit growth in 2027, even if any reshoring demand is unlikely to accrue meaningfully until 2028, according to the note.RBC's prior assumption of 200 basis points of operating margin expansion in 2027 was likely too optimistic, as the full year of Becton Dickinson ownership will dampen base-period margins. The analysts lowered their 2027 margin assumptions, but their 2027 EPS estimate remains 3% above the Street, with a bias to the upside.The company's improved microbiology growth rate in Q2 benefited from 300 basis points of price increases across consumables, but growth trends in research flow cytometry remain negative, with the remaining challenges being muted US academic/government demand and biotech demand, analysts added.RBC has an outperform rating on the stock, with a price target of $475 per share.Price: $407.93, Change: $-2.77, Percent Change: -0.67%
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $434.05, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $397.05, Change: $+0.97, Percent Change: +0.24%
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $434.05, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $397.12, Change: $+1.04, Percent Change: +0.26%
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $434.05, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $397.12, Change: $+1.04, Percent Change: +0.26%
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $431, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $416.18, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $378.36, Change: $+1.97, Percent Change: +0.52%
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $413.09, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $376.86, Change: $+0.49, Percent Change: +0.13%
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $409.64, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $402.47, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $401.42, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $370.79, Change: $-7.37, Percent Change: -1.95%
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $399.10, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $346.32, Change: $+3.57, Percent Change: +1.04%
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $399.10, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $343.69, Change: $+1.16, Percent Change: +0.34%
US equity indexes ended higher on Tuesday after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the ceasefire agreement with Iran remains in force and crude oil prices declined.* Hegseth, speaking at a press conference, promised to press ahead with opening the Strait of Hormuz, while Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iran's military actions didn't rise to the level of restarting the war, according to the Wall Street Journal.* US job openings fell to 6.866 million in March from 6.922 million in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, versus the 6.85 million expected in a Bloomberg poll.* The Institute for Supply Management's US services index declined to 53.6 in April from 54.0 in March, versus expectations for 53.7 in a Bloomberg survey.* June West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell $3.71 to settle at $102.71 per barrel, while July Brent crude, the global benchmark, was last seen down $4.27 at $110.21.* Waters (WAT) shares rose 13%, the biggest gain on the S&P 500, after the company reported higher fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue.* Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shares fell 10%, the largest drop on the S&P, after the company's Q1 results.
CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We raise our 12-month price target to $370 from $335, based on 25.5x our 2026 EPS estimate of $14.50 (up from $14.39; 2027 EPS down $0.05 to $16.34). This is a discount to WAT's three- and five-year historical forward P/E averages of 26.3x and 27.4x, respectively. We see ongoing weakness in academic/government end markets. We also note ongoing policy challenges in China, a key market for several U.S. life sciences tools and services firms, including headwinds for immunodiagnostics from China's diagnosis-related group reimbursement updates. While uncertainty remains regarding WAT's ability to fully realize anticipated synergies from the BDX deal, we view Q1 results as encouraging. The acquired Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions businesses generated $520M in revenue since closing, $40M above guidance, representing a meaningful sequential improvement from Q4 2025. Of note, the Biosciences division saw just a 1% sales decline on a full-quarter pro forma basis, compared to a 10% decline in Q4 2025.
CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:Waters Corporation reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $2.70 vs. $2.25, beating consensus by $0.39 (17%), while revenues of $1.267B topped guidance by $56M (4.6%). Organic business sales growth was 13% (11% constant currency), exceeding guidance by 200 bps, with Analytical Sciences delivering 14% growth to $607M. We think the quarter marks a successful start as a combined entity following the February 9 acquisition of BDX's Biosciences & Diagnostic Solutions business, supported by early realization of cross-division collaboration benefits and revenue synergies. Management raised full-year 2026 guidance across all key metrics, with organic constant currency growth guidance increased to 6.5%-8.0% from 5.5%-7.0% and adjusted EPS midpoint raised to $14.50 from $14.40. The acquired BDS businesses generated $520M in revenue since closing, $40M above guidance, while geographically Asia sales fell to 28% of total revenue vs. 33% in the prior year as Europe rose to 33% from 28%.
Health care stocks were higher premarket Tuesday, with the State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) gaining by 0.1% and the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) advancing 0.2%.IDEXX Laboratories (IDXX) shares rose more than 3% pre-bell after the company reported higher Q1 comparable earnings and revenue.Waters (WAT) shares were over 10% higher pre-bell after the company reported higher fiscal Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue.Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) stock was down more than 5% premarket after the company reported lower Q1 earnings and revenue.
Waters (WAT) has an average rating of overweight and mean price target of $387.24, according to analysts polled by FactSet.Price: $317.55, Change: $-2.45, Percent Change: -0.77%