Insider buying last 90 days
No open-market insider purchases were filed for WAT in the last 90 days.
From Form 4 filings, dated to when each was filed.
Every WAT insider filing, plotted on the chart in Gekko.Open WAT in Gekko
NYSE: WAT
Waters (WAT) Stock Analysis & Forecast
$421.63−8.09 (−1.9%)
Close on Sep 18, 2026. Page updated Sep 19, 9:17 pm ET.
Gekko Brief
AI summaryWaters (WAT) closes at $421.63, down 1.9% on the day but still well above its 50-day average of $398.50 and 200-day average of $361.62, consistent with an established uptrend. The GekkoIndex reads 50.6, placing the stock in the Neutral zone, while the shares sit 23.3% above the Gekko Fair Value of $341.94. The stock touched a 52-week high of $427.10 this week, with a 52-week range of $282.77 to $431.78.
The week's news centers on product launches and analyst reaction following the last earnings report. Waters commercially launched the BD FACSDiscover A7 spectral flow cytometry analyzer, expanding its cytometry portfolio for research and pharma customers, and also announced a partnership with Everlywell on an at-home HPV cervical cancer screening tool. This follows Q2 2026 results in which adjusted EPS of $3.05 beat the $3.01 estimate, producing a 6.7% reaction, after which TD Cowen upgraded the stock to Buy with a $475 price target. CEO Udit Batra is scheduled to speak at the J.P. Morgan U.S. All Stars Conference on 23 September.
The next earnings date falls on 3 November 2026, 44 days away and outside a typical 20-trading-day holding window. Analyst coverage stands at 17 firms, 11 rating the stock Buy and 6 Hold, with a consensus target of $442.71, implying 5% upside. Seasonality over the next 20 trading days has averaged -1.1% across 5 years, rising in only 2 of them, a pattern worth noting alongside the gap to Gekko Fair Value.
Written by AI and checked automatically against the figures on this page. Generated Sep 20, 2026 from the data above.
Price vs fair value
Close $421.63200-day averageGekko Fair Value $341.94
Key stats
- Market cap
- $31.53B
- P/E ratio
- 106.7
- Forward P/E
- 25.3
- EPS, TTM
- $3.95
- Revenue, TTM
- $4.64B
- Profit margin
- 3.6%
- Dividend yield
- —
- Beta
- 1.19
- Volume
- 1.03M avg 622,111
- 1-year return
- +38.8%
- Typical daily move
- ±2.7%
- Typical 20-day move
- ±5.7%
- 50-day average
- $398.50
- 200-day average
- $361.62
- Next earnings
- Nov 3 before open
- Shares outstanding
- 98.19M
Waters swing-trade checklist
Waters scores 2 supportive, 1 mixed and 2 headwinds across the 5 checklist items with data.
Six things swing traders check before a 20-day hold, read from the latest data.
2 supportive1 mixed2 headwinds
- Trendsupportive
Above 50 and 200-day
Close $421.63 is above the 50-day ($398.50) and 200-day ($361.62) averages, and the 50-day is above the 200-day.
See the chart - GekkoIndexmixed
50.6, Neutral
Reading 50.6 is in the Neutral zone.
See the GekkoIndex - Fair valueheadwind
23.3% above
Price is 23.3% above Gekko Fair Value (more than 5% above).
See fair value - Smart moneyno data
No data
No insider, Congress or unusual options activity in the window.
See smart money - Earnings risksupportive
Reports in 44 days
Next report Nov 3, 2026, 44 days away — outside a typical 20-trading-day hold.
See earnings - Seasonalityheadwind
−1.1% on average
From this point in the calendar, the next 20 trading days averaged −1.1% over 5 years, rising in 2 of them.
See seasonality
A description of current data, not a recommendation. How this page works
Waters stock chart and price history
Waters closed at $421.63 on Sep 18, 2026, +38.8% over the past year, inside a 52-week range of $282.77 to $431.78.
Close50-day average200-day averageVolume
Use the left and right arrow keys to read daily values.
Performance Breakdown
- 1 month
- +1.4%
- 3 months
- +18.6%
- 6 months
- +40.7%
- 1 year
- +38.8%
The full WAT chart adds GekkoIndex, insider, options, Congress and hedge fund markers, plus TrendCandles™.Open WAT in Gekko
Follow Waters through every session
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About Waters
Waters makes precision instruments used to measure and analyze materials in laboratories around the world, serving customers across Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It is particularly known for its liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry systems, which laboratories rely on for tasks ranging from drug discovery to protein analysis, nutritional testing, and environmental screening. These systems are supported by related consumables, such as chromatography columns, along with service plans once warranties expire.
The company runs two segments. The Waters segment covers chromatography and mass spectrometry equipment, while the TA segment builds instruments for thermal analysis, rheometry, and calorimetry, used to test how materials like chemicals, polymers, metals, and pharmaceuticals behave and hold up under different conditions. Waters also produces software that works with its own instruments as well as equipment made by other companies. Its customers include organizations in life sciences, pharmaceuticals, biochemistry, industrial manufacturing, nutritional safety, environmental testing, academia, and government, who use its tools for research, quality control, and everyday lab work.
Founded in 1958 and based in Milford, Massachusetts, Waters is listed on the NYSE under the ticker WAT.
- Listed
- NYSE
- Sector
- Health technology
- Industry
- Medical specialties
- Website
- waters.com
Waters GekkoIndex: the smart money zone
Waters’s GekkoIndex — Gekko’s 0 to 100 smart money score — reads 50.6, in the Neutral zone, down 7.5 points over five sessions.
50.6Neutral
Down 7.5 points over five sessions.
Reading for Sep 18, 2026
What followed past readings in each zone
| Zone | Readings | 5 days | 20 days | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buying | 47 | +1.2% | +4.3% | ||
| Accumulation | 158 | +0.8% | +2.1% | ||
| Neutral (current zone) | 411 | +0.3% | +0.7% | ||
| Distribution | 45 | −1.6% | −0.9% | ||
| Selling | 1 | Too few readings yet | |||
Average WAT share-price change over the trading days after each daily reading in its GekkoIndex history. Across every stock Gekko tracks, Neutral readings averaged +1.2% over 20 days. Past behaviour doesn’t guarantee future results.
Neutral zone: No clear directional signal. About the five zones →
See every daily GekkoIndex reading plotted over the WAT price, zone by zone.Track WAT in Gekko
Is Waters stock overvalued? Gekko Fair Value
Waters trades 23.3% above Gekko Fair Value of $341.94, so the shares are overvalued on Gekko’s estimate.
Gekko’s own estimate of what Waters shares are worth, recalculated every trading day.
$341.94
Gekko Fair Value, Sep 19, 2026
23.3% Overvalued
Gekko Fair Value on every chart, with the gap to price updating daily.Open WAT in Gekko
Waters insider and Congress trading
No open-market insider purchases were filed for Waters, and no Congress trades were disclosed, in the last 90 days.
Plus buybacks, unusual options and fund positions, each dated to when it became public.
Congress trades last 90 days
No trades in WAT were disclosed by members of Congress in the last 90 days.
From congressional disclosures, which report amounts as ranges.
Congress disclosures for WAT, plotted on the chart in Gekko.Open WAT in Gekko
Buybacks
Waters has been buying back its own shares.
- Bought back, quarter ended Jul 4, 2026
- $2.00M
- As a share of market cap
- 0.01%
- Trailing four quarters
- $14.36M
From company filings.
Hedge funds and billionaires quarter ended Jun 30
3of the funds Gekko tracks hold WAT.
1added1opened1trimmed0sold out
Which funds are on each side, name by name.Unlock in Gekko
Waters earnings: next date and track record
Waters reports on Nov 3, 2026, before the open (44 days away), and beat the EPS estimate in 8 of its last 8 reports.
Next earnings report
Nov 3, 2026
Expected before the open, 44 days away
- EPS estimate
- $4.01
- Revenue estimate
- $1.75B
8 of 8reports beat the EPS estimate
±9.3%average move across the report
4 of 8reports followed by a gain
Share-price move across each report
Last earnings call, Aug 4, 2026 AI summary
- What they said
- Waters Corporation reported Q2 2026 total revenue of $1.645 billion, with organic revenue of $828 million growing 9% in constant currency. The newly acquired Waters Bioscience and Diagnostic Solutions contributed $817 million, growing 4% versus prior year. Adjusted EPS grew 3% to $3.05, hitting the high end of guidance. All four divisions exceeded guidance, with pharma and academic/government end markets delivering double-digit growth for the second consecutive quarter.
- Guidance
- Management raised implied full-year confidence given Q2 outperformance of approximately 100 basis points above guidance range. Bioscience and Diagnostic Solutions revenue exceeded guidance by $15 million, with acceleration to mid-single-digit growth expected to continue as 180-day integration plan takes hold.
| Reported | EPS | Revenue | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 4, 2026 | $3.05 est $3.01 | $1.65B est $1.62B | +6.7% |
| May 5, 2026 | $2.70 est $2.31 | $1.27B est $1.20B | +15.8% |
| Feb 9, 2026 | $4.53 est $4.51 | $932.4M est $928.3M | −14.2% |
| Nov 4, 2025 | $3.40 est $3.21 | $799.9M est $781.0M | +7.6% |
| Aug 4, 2025 | $2.95 est $2.94 | $771.3M est $748.7M | −3.1% |
| May 6, 2025 | $2.25 est $2.22 | $661.7M est $654.8M | −0.8% |
| Feb 12, 2025 | $4.10 est $4.03 | $872.7M est $857.1M | −6.5% |
| Nov 1, 2024 | $2.93 est $2.68 | $740.3M est $713.0M | +19.9% |
“Move” is the close of the first session after the report compared with the close of the last session before it, so it reads the same whether the company reported before the open or after the close.
Waters stock forecast and analyst price targets
Analysts’ average 12-month price target for Waters is $442.71, +5.0% from the last close, from 17 firms rating the stock in the last 90 days.
$442.71consensus 12-month target, +5.0% from the last close
Now $421.63Avg $442.71
Low $400High $490
Each firm’s latest rating in the last 90 days: 17 firms.
Latest analyst actions
| Date | Firm | Target | vs price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14 | Morgan Stanley | $430 | +2.0% |
| Sep 9 | Bernstein | $450 | +6.7% |
| Sep 9 | UBS | $490 | +16.2% |
| Aug 27 | Piper Sandler | $480 | +13.8% |
| Aug 24 | RBC Capital | $475 | +12.7% |
+0.7%average 20-day move after past Neutral readings
−1.1%average move over the next 20 trading days in the last 5 years
±2.7%typical daily move, from the 14-day average range
Gekko doesn’t publish price predictions. These are analyst targets and historical base rates, which don’t guarantee future results.
Waters seasonality: the next 20 trading days
Over the next 20 trading days from Sep 19, Waters averaged −1.1% across the last 5 years, rising in 2 of them.
Next 20 trading days, by year
Average move and hit rate
| Window | Average | Years higher |
|---|---|---|
| Next 5 trading days | −2.7% | 1 of 5 |
| Next 10 trading days | −1.0% | 2 of 5 |
| Next 15 trading days | −1.1% | 2 of 5 |
| Next 20 trading days | −1.1% | 2 of 5 |
| Next 30 trading days | −0.8% | 2 of 5 |
For scale, WAT’s typical 20-trading-day move in either direction is about 5.7%.
Waters market cap and key statistics
Waters’s market cap is $31.53B, with a P/E ratio of 106.7 and revenue of $4.64B over the last twelve months.
Valuation
- Market cap
- $31.53B
- P/E ratio
- 106.7
- Forward P/E
- 25.3
- EPS, TTM
- $3.95
- Gekko Fair Value
- $341.94
Trading
- Volume
- 1.03M
- Avg volume, 20 days
- 622,111
- 52-week high
- $431.78
- 52-week low
- $282.77
- Shares outstanding
- 98.19M
Financials
- Revenue, TTM
- $4.64B
- Profit margin
- 3.6%
- Return on equity
- 1.9%
- Quarterly earnings growth, YoY
- −3.1%
Risk and income
- Beta
- 1.19
- Typical daily move
- ±2.7%
- Typical 20-day move
- ±5.7%
Waters stock news this week
Coverage of Waters this week reads positive: 5 positive, 2 neutral and 0 negative headlines.
- Waters Launches BD FACSDiscover A7 for Advanced Flow CytometryZacks Investment Research, Sep 18
- Waters Corporation stock hits 52-week high at 427.1 USDInvesting.com, Sep 17
- Waters Corporation stock hits 52-week high at 427.1 USD By Investing.comInvesting.com Canada, Sep 17
- Everlywell Announces a Partnership with Waters Corporation to Bring the Most Comprehensive FDA-Cleared At-Home HPV Cervical Cancer Screening Tool Available in the U.S. Today to PatientsBusiness Wire, Sep 16
- Waters Launches Spectral Flow Cytometry Analyzer for High-Parameter ResearchClinical Lab Products, Sep 14
- $1000 Invested In Waters 20 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much TodayBenzinga, Sep 14
Waters peers
Waters’s 6 largest industry peers by market value, with today’s move, GekkoIndex zone and gap to Gekko Fair Value.
| Stock | GekkoIndex zone | vs Fair Value |
|---|---|---|
| TMOThermo Fisher Scientific | Distribution | 17.1% above |
| ABTAbbott Laboratories | Accumulation | 15.5% below |
| DHRDanaher | Neutral | 1.1% above |
| ISRGIntuitive Surgical | Neutral | 12.3% above |
| MDTMedtronic | Neutral | 24.7% below |
| SYKStryker | Buying | 17.1% below |
A peer links to its own page where one exists.
Waters stock FAQ
What is Waters’s market cap?
Waters’s market cap is $31.53B at the Sep 18, 2026 close of $421.63, with 98.19M shares outstanding. The shares trade on a P/E ratio of 106.7.
What is the Waters stock forecast?
The consensus analyst 12-month price target for Waters is $442.71, +5.0% from the last close. Of the 17 firms that rated the stock in the last 90 days, 11 rate it a buy, 6 a hold and 0 a sell. Gekko doesn’t publish price predictions of its own.
Is Waters stock overvalued or undervalued?
On Gekko’s estimate Waters is overvalued: the Sep 18, 2026 close of $421.63 is 23.3% above Gekko Fair Value of $341.94. Gekko Fair Value is recalculated every trading day, and a gap inside 5% either way counts as about fair value.
When does Waters report earnings next?
Waters is expected to report on Nov 3, 2026, before the market opens (44 days away). Analysts expect earnings of $4.01 per share on revenue of $1.75B. Waters beat the earnings estimate in 8 of its last 8 reports, moving 9.3% on average across the report.
What is Waters’s 52-week high and low?
Waters’s 52-week high is $431.78 and its 52-week low is $282.77; it closed at $421.63 on Sep 18, 2026, +38.8% over the past year.
Is Waters stock a buy right now?
Gekko describes the data; it does not make buy or sell recommendations. On the swing-trade checklist, 2 of the 5 items with data read as supportive (trend and earnings risk), 1 as mixed (gekkoindex) and 2 as headwinds (fair value and seasonality). The checklist is a description of current data, not a recommendation.
How this page works
Prices and signals update after every US market close; the GekkoIndex, Gekko Fair Value and the checklist are Gekko’s own, and the Gekko Brief is written by AI from this page’s data and checked against it before it is published. How Gekko’s data works →
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