Quilter 13F: Cuts Waters (WAT) Stake by $1.2M

Quilter lowered its stake in Waters Corporation WAT by 2,758 shares during the period, according to a Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 21, 2026. The stock closed at $457.47 on the filing date.

WAT Waters Corporation

$457.47 ▲ +19.77% year to date

1M 3M YTD

Daily close · Oct 21, 2026

What Changed in Quilter's Waters Corporation Position

Quilter trimmed its holdings by a 7.4% margin, leaving the firm with 34,551 shares of the analytical instrument maker. The remaining stake carried a reported value of $15,181,364 at the time of the filing. Before this adjustment, Quilter held 37,309 shares in Waters Corporation.

Other Institutional Activity in Waters Corporation

Other large institutional investors adjusted their positions in Waters Corporation during recent quarters. Forbes J M initiated a new position by acquiring 481 shares worth about $211,347. Fundsmith reduced its holdings by 345,903 shares, ending with 3,212,075 shares valued at roughly $1.20 billion. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. trimmed its stake by 5,093 shares to hold 4,625,035 shares worth $2.11 billion. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its holdings by 577,866 shares, finishing with 2,694,590 shares valued at about $1.23 billion. Fundsmith LLP cut its position by 938,620 shares, leaving it with 2,273,632 shares worth $1.04 billion.

Waters Corporation Stock Up 4.3%

Waters Corporation recently traded around $442.83 as of October 22, 2026, down about 3.2% from its event-day close of $457.47. The stock sits below its 52-week high of $459.63 and well above its 52-week low of $282.77. Shares are trading 4.8% above their 50-day moving average of $422.54 and 20.6% above their 200-day moving average of $367.12.

Recent Earnings

Waters Corporation reported trailing twelve month revenue of $4.64 billion and earnings of $3.95 per share. The company posted a net profit margin of 3.6% and a return on equity of 1.9%. The next earnings report is scheduled for November 3, 2026.

Insider Buying and Selling at Waters Corporation

Company insiders made several transactions in the stock ahead of the filing. Director Richard H Fearon bought 1,000 shares on March 6, 2026, at an average price of $306.34 for a total value of $306,340. Director Wei Jiang purchased 500 shares on March 16, 2026, at $289.46 per share, totaling $144,730. Christopher A Kuebler sold 3,626 shares on August 6, 2026, at an average price of $397.94 for a total value of $1,442,930.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Wall Street firms updated their outlooks on the stock in recent weeks. On September 9, 2026, UBS upgraded the stock to a Buy rating and raised its price target from $375.00 to $490.00. Goldman Sachs maintained a Buy rating on September 21, 2026, lifting its target from $465.00 to $515.00. Guggenheim kept a Buy rating on October 1, 2026, raising its target to $490.00 from $440.00. Barclays maintained an Overweight rating on October 7, 2026, and pushed its target from $460.00 to $500.00. TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating on October 13, 2026, increasing its price target from $475.00 to $515.00. The stock carries a consensus buy recommendation and a mean price target of $464.30 across 23 analyst opinions.

About Waters Corporation

Waters Corporation operates out of Milford, Massachusetts, creating specialized laboratory equipment and software for scientific research. The company designs liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry systems used by pharmaceutical, industrial, and academic laboratories. These analytical workflow tools help scientists measure chemical compounds and develop new medicines.

Bottom Line

Investors are watching for the upcoming earnings release on November 3, 2026, to gauge the company's growth momentum. Institutional shifts and insider activity provide ongoing context on how major market participants view the valuation.