WAT

Waters Corp

$304.24

+1.45%
Apr 2, 2026
Bobby Quantitative Model
Waters Corp is a leading provider of analytical instruments, including liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry systems, within the medical diagnostics and research industry. The company is defined by its recent merger with BD's life science and diagnostics business, which strengthens its position in the diagnostics and life science tools market.

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WAT 12-Month Price Forecast

Historical Price
Current Price $304.24
Average Target $304.24
High Target $349.876
Low Target $258.604

Wall Street consensus

Most Wall Street analysts maintain a constructive view on Waters Corp's 12-month outlook, with a consensus price target around $395.51 and implied upside of +30.0% versus the current price.

Average Target

$395.51

6 analysts

Implied Upside

+30.0%

vs. current price

Analyst Count

6

covering this stock

Price Range

$243 - $396

Analyst target range

Buy
1 (17%)
Hold
3 (50%)
Sell
2 (33%)

Analyst data provides estimates for future performance but does not include a consensus target price or ratings distribution. Six analysts provide estimates, with an average EPS forecast of $21.30 and an average revenue forecast of $8.35 billion. Recent institutional ratings from firms like Deutsche Bank (Hold), Morgan Stanley (Equal Weight), and Guggenheim (Buy) indicate a mixed but generally neutral to positive outlook. No sufficient analyst coverage data for a consolidated target price is available in the provided inputs.

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WAT Technical Analysis

The stock has experienced significant volatility and a pronounced downtrend over the past six months. From a peak near $414 in late November 2025, the price has fallen sharply to a current level of $297.8, representing a 6-month decline of 7.5%. Short-term performance has been particularly weak, with the stock down 21.6% over the last three months and 6.8% over the past month, significantly underperforming the broader market as indicated by negative relative strength figures. The current price of $297.8 sits near the lower end of its 52-week range of $275.05 to $414.15, approximately 28% below the high. This positioning suggests the stock is in a corrective phase, having given back most of its gains from late 2025. The price action shows a clear breakdown from the $380-$400 support zone in February 2026, leading to the current lower trading range. No specific technical indicators like RSI were provided in the key metrics for the current date. The data shows a beta of 1.2, indicating the stock has been more volatile than the market, which aligns with the observed price swings. The recent price change of +1.51% from the previous close offers a minor reprieve within the broader downtrend.

Beta

1.20

1.20x market volatility

Max Drawdown

-31.3%

Largest decline past year

52-Week Range

$275-$414

Price range past year

Annual Return

-16.1%

Cumulative gain past year

PeriodWAT ReturnS&P 500
1m-2.5%-3.6%
3m-20.3%-4.0%
6m-7.4%-2.0%
1y-16.1%+16.2%
ytd-20.3%-3.8%

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WAT Fundamental Analysis

Revenue and profitability show mixed signals. Quarterly revenue for Q4 2025 was $932.4 million, representing a year-over-year growth of 6.8%. However, net income for the same quarter was $225.2 million, resulting in a net margin of 24.2%, which is a decline from the 26.5% net margin in Q4 2024. The trailing twelve-month free cash flow is a healthy $539.8 million. Financial health appears stable. The debt-to-equity ratio is 0.55, indicating a moderate level of debt financing. The company generates substantial operating cash flow, as evidenced by the quarterly figures, which supports its ability to service debt and invest in operations. The current ratio data is inconsistent in the provided inputs, with key metrics showing 0, while historical ratios show figures above 1.5, suggesting potential data discrepancies. Operational efficiency metrics are strong. Return on Equity (ROE) is 25.1% and Return on Assets (ROA) is 11.5%, both indicating effective use of shareholder capital and company assets. The gross margin remains robust at 57.8%, and the operating margin is 28.2%, reflecting solid core business profitability.

Quarterly Revenue

$932362000.0B

2025-12

Revenue YoY Growth

+0.06%

YoY Comparison

Gross Margin

+0.59%

Latest Quarter

Free Cash Flow

$539810000.0B

Last 12 Months

Revenue & Net Income Trends (2 Years)

Revenue Breakdown

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Valuation Analysis: Is WAT Overvalued?

Given that Net Income is positive ($225.2M in the latest quarter), the primary valuation metric used is the Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratio. The trailing P/E ratio is 35.2, which is elevated. The forward P/E is lower at 18.2, based on analyst EPS estimates, suggesting expectations for significant earnings growth. The Price-to-Sales ratio is 7.1 and the Enterprise Value-to-Sales is 9.5. Peer comparison data (industry averages) was not provided in the valuation inputs, so a direct industry comparison cannot be made. The high trailing P/E suggests the market has historically priced Waters for growth, while the lower forward P/E implies analysts anticipate improved earnings. The Price-to-Book ratio of 8.8 also indicates a premium valuation relative to the company's book value.

PE

35.2x

Latest Quarter

vs. Historical

Mid-Range

5-Year PE Range 22x~50x

vs. Industry Avg

N/A

Industry PE ~N/A*

EV/EBITDA

23.1x

Enterprise Value Multiple

Investment Risk Disclosure